natural disasters
Jan. 21, 2022
Greece to Compensate Olive Growers Impacted by Summer Fires
Full-time olive growers are expected to receive approximately €100 per destroyed olive tree, with half of the amount paid in advance.
Jan. 17, 2022
2021 Was Earth’s Fifth Hottest Year, Scientists Say
The annual average temperature in 2021 exceeded the modern average by 0.3 ºC, scientists at Europe’s Copernicus climate change service found.
Jan. 4, 2022
Extreme Weather Cost Billions in Damage in 2021, Study Finds
Extreme weather events around the planet severely impact people and ecosystems. Now, researchers have calculated the economic costs.
Dec. 18, 2021
Catalonia Pledges €1M to Filomena Recovery, Rejects Most Aid Requests
Local olive farmers are angry after 65 percent of applications for recovery aid were rejected. They argue the authorities are underestimating long-term damage.
Sep. 28, 2021
Study: Human Activity Increased Likelihood and Severity of July Floods in Western Europe
The World Weather Attribution Initiative concluded that human-caused climate change increased the likelihood of the historic flooding by as much as 20 percent.
Sep. 14, 2021
Catalonian Farmers Seek More Aid to Recover from Filomena
A local farmers’ association said that the original damage estimates were calculated prematurely and additional losses have accrued.
Sep. 1, 2021 Business
Italian Olive Growers Suffer Through Long Summer of Drought, Wildfires
Aug. 24, 2021 Africa / Middle East
Algerian Farmers in ‘State of Shock’ After Week of Deadly Fires
Aug. 23, 2021 Africa / Middle East
Thousands of Hectares of Olive Trees Burned to Ashes Across Southern Turkey
Aug. 20, 2021 Africa / Middle East
Aug. 17, 2021 Business
Heatwave, Deadly Fires Threaten the Approaching Olive Harvest in Greece
Jul. 29, 2021
Millenary Olive Tree Destroyed in Sardinian Wildfires
A massive wildfire on the island destroyed 20,000 hectares of land, including many olive groves and one of Italy's most ancient olive trees.
Apr. 13, 2021
Spring Freeze Devastates Crops in Europe
Unseasonably cold weather damaged blossoming olive trees in France, Greece and Italy. The full extent of the damage will be known in the coming weeks.
Jan. 15, 2021
Producers Warn of 'Incalculable Damage' in Wake of Filomena
Asaja Madrid estimates that the region's olive harvest will fall by 35 percent as a result of the blizzard.
Jan. 11, 2021
Historic Blizzard Threatens Olive Groves in Spain
Storm Filomena dropped up to 50 centimeters of snow across central and northern Spain over the weekend. Depending on how temperatures evolve over the next few days, olive groves could experience significant damage.
Oct. 8, 2020
Harvest Underway in California Amid Historic Wildfires, Covid Concerns
Producers are predicting smaller yields than last year. The record wildfires appear to have had a minimal effect on the state's olive farmers.
Sep. 25, 2020
Italy Approves Aid for Mills Hit by 2018 Snow Storm
Italy pledged €8 million to help mills and processing cooperatives affected by the Burian snow storm.
Aug. 7, 2020
Farmers, Politicians Blame Each Other as Wildfires Burn in Puglia
Farmers have blamed the rapid spread of the wildfires on dead olive trees that were killed by Xylella fastidiosa and never removed by local governments. Some politicians have insinuated that these trees are being intentionally burned.
Jul. 10, 2017
Wildfire Destroys Grove in Turkey
In an ironic twist of fate, Turkey's olive trees had just been saved from proposed changes to the country's “olive law” when they went up in flames.
Feb. 14, 2017
South African Olive Farmers Feel the Heat as Wildfires Take Their Toll
South Africa's olive industry is set to take a blow from recent wildfires that have plagued the Western Cape region, an area home to most of the country's olive farms.
Aug. 26, 2016
Earthquake in Central Italy: How to Help
In a race against time, the search continues unabated in the hope of finding people still alive.
Jul. 14, 2016
Research Shows Leccino Less Susceptible to Xf
According to a new study, the Leccino olive variety appears to be ‘tolerant’ to the attack of the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium that has wiped out large swaths of Italian olive-growing regions.
Jul. 27, 2015
European Commission Publishes Xylella Fastidiosa Factsheet
The document points out that Xylella fastidiosa is one of the world’s deadliest plant bacteria and the only confirmed outbreak in the EU is in Apulia.
Jul. 21, 2015
As California Grapples with Water Shortage, Olive Oil Producers See an 'Up Year'
Despite a wrenching drought and a widening debate over California's water supply, forecasts for the 2015 olive harvest are surprisingly upbeat.
May. 6, 2015
Drought Rages On in California
While golf courses and cemetery lawns go brown and cars get dirty, no cutbacks were imposed on the huge agriculture industry.
Apr. 19, 2015
Olive Tree Felling Starts in Apulia Amid Protests
The destruction of the trees follows a controversial proposal to cut down 11 million olive trees to contain the spread of the deadly bacterium.