Why olive groves get abandoned?

Today, there are tens of millions of olive trees abandoned in southern Europe, with their numbers increasing annually as families who once tended to them relocate to urban areas or retire. Most of these abandoned trees are found in old traditional olive groves, established decades or even centuries ago. The reality is that economically, these groves no longer make sense. Traditional groves typically contain around 100 trees per hectare, allowing each tree to thrive with natural nutrients and water, without the need for fertilizers or irrigation. While this model is more environmentally friendly and biodiverse, it cannot compete with today's intensive olive groves, which often contain five to ten times more trees per hectare. Consequently, these old traditional groves are gradually fading into obscurity, with some being abandoned entirely and others converted into high-intensity industrial plantations.

  • Traditional olive grove

  • High-intensity olive field

The truth is that we cannot turn back the clock to previous centuries' lifestyles, no matter how much we might desire to do so. Traditional olive groves, as a model, struggle to survive in an era dominated by supermarkets and white-label brands, where price often dictates decisions. Additionally, producing oil in traditional low-intensity groves is more costly than in highly mechanized intensive plantations.

However, not all traditional olive groves will vanish. Some are preserved for their beauty as part of private landscapes, while others are maintained by families producing oil for personal consumption. There are also initiatives like ours, aiming to preserve traditional groves by offering unique products where low-intensity, natural farming practices are seen as advantages rather than problems.