Greek Farmers Hit by Olive Heists and Deadly Drought

For many people, olive oil is more than something you drizzle on salad. In Greece, it is a way of life and a vital part of the economy.

It also connects families to the land where their trees have stood for generations. But now, that tradition is under serious threat.

Olive thefts are rising across Greece, reports Digi24. The problem has gotten worse as heat and drought have made harvests unpredictable.

Climate Change Brings Dry Weather

In the past, olive trees were tough and survived dry weather. But climate change has pushed them to the edge.

Greece, Spain, and Italy grow most of the world’s olives. Of these three, Greece is the smallest and the poorest.

The country depends heavily on high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. Greece exports over a billion dollars of oil each year.

In 2023, climate change cost Greece about $400 per person, more than in Spain or Italy.

Farmers are fighting drought and wildfires. Last year, fires burned more than 4,400 hectares of olive groves in Greece.

Michael Antonopoulos, who leads an olive oil cooperative in Kalamata, said almost all their production was destroyed. He believes they don’t have the tools to stop the damage.

37-Ton Olive Oil Theft

Desperate times have fueled more theft. Thieves have stolen oil from factories and even from people’s homes.

In one large heist, criminals took 37 tons of olive oil worth over $300,000 from a plant in Halkidiki. Other thefts are smaller.

On Crete, someone broke into a house and carried away hundreds of pounds of oil. Outside Athens, farmers woke to find their trees chopped down overnight.

Sometimes thieves cut off the branches full of olives. Other times they haul away the entire tree.

People have even stolen olive oil from cemeteries, taking bottles meant for lamps or left as gifts for the dead.

Last season, the harvest was so poor that many farmers left olives unpicked. This year brought some relief, with output more than double the year before.

But uncertainty still hangs over the future. Olive oil makes up a quarter of Greek agriculture and a big part of the country’s income.

Greeks also consume more olive oil than anyone else—about 18 liters per person every year.