In this country olive growing is extremely important and dates back thousands of years. About 15/20% of olive trees are more than 2000 years old, and were mainly introduced under Roman rule. These trees have adapted to the terrain well, even withstanding relatively poor conditions and a desert climate. The oil they produce is of good quality in terms of stability, taste and aroma.

The biblical tradition is rich in episodes that reflect the importance of olive growing: many archaeological finds date olive oil production back at least as far as 6500 years ago. Today olive oil production accounts for about 1% of national agricultural output.

In Lebanon, olive output is low. The country’s most common cultivar is Soury, from the Arab name of the city of “Sour”, by the sea in the south of the country, one of the first ports from which the Phoenicians started their trading operations. Recent studies have shown that primordial Lebanese olive varieties were used and selected to create a large number of varieties grown throughout the Mediterranean basin today.

This state only achieved productive independence in 2015, so it has only recently joined the world trade in olive oil. However, olive growing dates back several millennia to the bronze age (3550-2000 BC); households were making their own olive oil with small mills as long ago as Roman times.

This country ranks among the world’s leading olive producers. This area is generally identified as the original habitat from which the native Olea europaea originated and spread. The main cultivars, Zaity, Sourani and Doebli, account for more than 90 percent of the olives grown in this country.

Olives have been grown in this country since time immemorial. In recent years, the industry has enjoyed strong Government support: today, Turkey exports olive oil to more than 90 countries worldwide and is aiming to become the world’s second biggest producer, with a greater focus on product quality.