subject: The Olive in History and Today [print this page] The olive is a small, very long lived tree that is native to the Eastern Mediterranean basin as well as South Eastern Europe, Western Asia, North Africa, and Northern Iran. Cultivation of the olive is ancient and mentioned in the first Western writing such as Homer's Odyssey written around 800 BC. The tree can live two millennia as demonstrated by a carbon dated tree in Portugal and attested to in many local histories and legends. The ability of the roots to regenerate a tree after the trunk has been destroyed also lead to great longevity. Although these trees can become ancient they bear the best olives from around 5 to sixty years of age according to those in the business of growing olives.
Olive trees bear a fruit which can be eaten raw or cooked. They are also grown to produce olive oil. Interestingly the word for oil in many languages derives from the ancient name of the olive.
An Ancient Tree
The olive was considered sacred by many in the old world. Olive branches were found in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh, Tutankhamen (1341 BC 1323 BC). The leaves were used to crown victors of both war and athletic competitions and as offerings to deities. The oil was used at coronations to anoint kings and lamps ancient temples burned olive oil. Thus the olive as tree, fruit, and oil is an integral part of the ancient history of the Mediterranean and parts of the Middle East.
A Dietary Staple
Olive oil has been a dietary staple in the Mediterranean Basin and Middle East for millennia as well. Today roughly 95 percent of world wide olive oil production comes from the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. Sixty percent of cultivatable land in Greece is used for olive orchards and Greece is only the third leading producer after Spain and Italy. These three countries are still the world's largest consumers of olive oil at roughly 60% but that figure will likely change. People the world are coming to realize the heart healthy benefits of olive oil. Already from 1990 the world wide consumption of olive oil doubled and it is expected to triple between 2000 and 2020. The sacred oil of the Mediterranean Basin is becoming increasingly popular from the USA to Japan and other parts of the Orient.
Olive Supply and Demand
As the consumption of olive oil increases throughout the world the traditional leading producers of olive oil will not be able to keep up with demand. However, the olive grows best and most productively in the Mediterranean Basin and near the sea. The answer to this dilemma is to plant olives on the south side of the Mediterranean Basin. Countries of North Africa have climates near the sea that are similar to producing areas of Greece, Italy, and Spain. Until recently they have only lacked the infrastructure to plant, produce, process, and export. That is also changing as countries like Algeria gear up to plant a million hectares of olives. That is an area comparable to a square a hundred kilometers on a side.
Olives for Olive Oil
Many varieties of olive exist which should not be a surprise considering how long this tree has been grown for its fruit and its oil. A very practical type of olive tree that is considered for new planting programs is called a super high density varietal. That just means that these trees can be planted more densely than the traditional olive tree and can typically produce more olive oil per hectare (a hectare is equal to 2.5 acres). There are three of these that can be used in new planting programs to meet increasing demand for oil.
Arbosana Olive
This variety has a fruity and pleasant flavor, in very productive, and is very resistant to low temperatures. It is also very resistant to a number of diseases that attack olive trees. It propagates asexually and typically produces 20% weight per volume of oil. It re-grows vigorously when pruned.
Arbequinia Olive
This variety also produces roughly 20% weight per volume of oil. Besides having a high oil content in its fruit the Arbequinia is very productive, producing every year. It is a smaller tree which is easy to pick and prune. It is easy to replant because of the high rooting ability of its cuttings. This tree is very cold tolerant and tolerates salty soil as well. It is also quite drought tolerant. This variety started in the Middle East but is named after a Spanish town near the Mediterranean coast and is known to be grown in selected areas around the world.
Koroneiki Olive
This olive is widely planted in Greece and is able to produce well in super dense plantings. It produces a small fruit and can produce 27% weight per volume of oil. The Koroneiki is tolerant of drought and windy locations but is not especially cold tolerant. It also does not root as well from cuttings as the Arbequinia. It is grown as far away as Australia.
Producing Enough Olive Oil
It is the high density cultivars with drought and cold resistance that appear to show the most promise for planting in newly tilled soil in North Africa. Although these are regions with mild climates any tree can be susceptible to the occasional drought or cold spell. Planting trees with drought and cold tolerance will insure continued production without a lapse in case of environmental stress. Likewise the ability of varieties such as the Arbequinia to be planted very densely will help investors with the attractive return on investment needed to attract manpower, materials, and capital to the huge project of planting hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of hectares with olive trees.
The Olive Today
The Olive has come a long way from the tomb of Tutankhamen and the anointing of kings to dinner tables throughout the world. As more and more individuals become aware of the health benefits of olive oil production will need to rise to meet demand. Planting varieties such as the arbequinia olive in the soil of North Africa such as in Algeria will help meet demand. This larger project will also create jobs and handsomely reward investors with the foresight in engage in these projects.
