Olive Oil

Olive oil is a staple food in Middle Eastern cuisine and culture. With the impacts of war and climate change, it has caused a decline in olive oil production.

What made me want to explore this topic was that one day I was browsing through Instagram, and I stumbled across an advertisement for buying olive oil produced in Palestine by a local family. It brought an awareness to me that there is olive farming and oil production in Palestine, I wanted to explore and understand the obstacles that locals have faced since October 7, 2023. I was curious in finding other countries who are oil producers to draw comparisons regarding the obstacles they are experiencing. To keep the comparison short, I focused on Palestine and Lebanon.

Lebanon has been severely impacted by conflict and weather changes that have impacted their olive harvest. According to the International Olive Council (IOC) found on ofimagazine.com, in the 2024 crop year, Lebanon was aimed to produce 18,000 tonnes of olive oil. This number dropped significantly to less than 20 litres/m2 in certain regions of the country, especially those impacted by the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Isreal. Since then, it has been averaged around 386 fire bombings, resulted in the destruction of over 50,000 olive trees. To put into context, according to 9oliveres.com, one young olive tree (5-8 years) can produce between 5-10 litres of oil per season. A mature tree (20+ years) can produce between 20-40 litres. The conflict has caused over 86,000 inhabitants to be displaced, causing many olive trees to go unharvested, therefore loss of income and national production between 20-30 percent (ofimagazine.com).  

In Palestine, the olive harvest is important in bringing economic stability to Palestinians. In an article written by Aljazeera.com, the village of Umm Safa, occupied West Bank, olive oil production and harvesting has become difficult since the start of the war. Israeli’s settlers have posed systemic violence through use of threats and harassment towards the local villagers. In some incidences settlers have destroyed olive crops and other village resources. Israeli Military has taken control by setting up barriers, therefore restricting and limiting locals from accessing their harvest lands. As a result, villagers cannot access lands safely, resulting in the process to be difficult and dangerous. The voyage makes it impossible to participate in their annual harvest season, which takes place from October to November. With the reduction in mobility, it has naturally created tensions between the groups, which at times has unfortunately led to casualties.

So, what next? Since the conflict between Israel and Palestine is ongoing and Lebanon is a neighbouring country impacted by the war, how do locals plan to rebuild? In an article written by Bilal Ghazeye for newarab.com, he shared that since the US-brokered ceasefire between Hezbollah and Isreal, Lebanese farmers have been able to return to their lands after being displaced and rebuild. This is a difficult task when farmers in southern Lebanon have either lost a significant portion of their crop, or it has been destroyed completely because of the war. According to Ghazeye, farmers have petitioned to local authorities to receive compensation for their losses. This approach thus far, “has been scarce.” (Ghazeye, 2024) The common goal farmers have towards their recovery is “creative problem-solving and community support to bridge the gap left by traditional government aid that currently seems non-existent.” (Ghazeye)

When the time comes for Palestinians to rebuild, I think they too will rely on problem-solving and community support given current the uncertainty from US Foreign Aid.

Sources

Al Jazeera Staff. “‘Rooted in this land until death: A Palestinian family’s olive harvest.’” Aljazeera, 3 Dec. 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/12/3/rooted-in-this-land-until-death-a-palestinian-familys-olive-harvest#. Accessed 13 Mar 2025.

“Conflict and extreme weather patterns impact Lebanese olive harvest.” Oils & FatsInternational, https://www.ofimagazine.com/news/conflict-and-extreme-weather-patterns-impact-lebanese-olive-harvest. Accessed 13 Mar 2025.

Ghazeye, Bilal. “‘This land will endure’: The Lebanese farmers rebuilding their olive groves in the wake of Israel’s war.” The New Arab, 19 Dec. 2024, https://www.newarab.com/features/lebanese-farmers-strive-rebuild-their-olive-groves-after-war. Accessed 17 Mar 2025.

“How much oil does an olive tree produce?” 9olivers, https://9oliveres.com/en/blogs/noticias/cuanto-aceite-produce-un-olivo#:~:text=Approximate%20Olive%20Oil%20Production%20Figures%3A&text=Young%20Olive%20Trees%3A%20A%20young,even%20more%20in%20ideal%20conditions. Accessed 13 Mar 2025.