natural disasters

Sep. 25, 2023

Olive Farmers in Puglia Face Catastrophic Harvest After Autumn Storms

The damage to the southern Italian region’s olive trees is expected to drive up prices in the short term and lower production in future harvests.

Sep. 25, 2023

Morocco's Olive Harvest Expected to Rebound, Despite Headwinds

Despite a hot and dry summer, recent rain has improved conditions, with more expected in the coming weeks. Officials expect production to improve compared to last year.

Sep. 18, 2023

Storms in Greece Flood Olive Groves, Damage Trees

Heavy rain and hailstorms swept across Greece, damaging olive trees ahead of the upcoming harvest and raising concerns over the spread of disease.

Aug. 29, 2023

California Olive Oil Producers Weigh the Impact of Tropical Storm Hilary

Producers across Southern California welcomed the unseasonable rainfall and reported only minor damage from flooding and mudslides.

Aug. 29, 2023

No Respite in Greece as Wildfires Incinerate Ancient Olive Groves in Makri

Wildfires continue to wreak havoc in rural Greece, partially destroying the traditional Makri olive grove and leaving local producers in despair.

Aug. 14, 2023

Unprecedented Heat Sparks More Wildfires Across Greece

Around 4,500 hectares of olive groves have been burned in wildfires across the country. The government promises aid, but farmers want something else.

Nov. 22, 2022

Compensation for Climatically Vulnerable Countries Agreed at COP27

The final agreement agreed to “loss and damage” payments for developing economies and reinforced commitments to lower emissions but not phase out fossil fuels.

Nov. 2, 2022

Poorest Countries Seek Debt Relief, Citing Costs of Climate Change

Known as the Vulnerable Twenty Group, the 58 members asked richer nations to forgive their debt and invest in climate change mitigation efforts.

Nov. 1, 2022

E.U. Asks Global Community to Accelerate Energy Transition Ahead of COP27

The 27-member bloc announced new strategies including stricter climate pledges. They said that 1.5 °C maximum temperature growth is still within reach.

Sep. 6, 2022

Chalkidiki Table Olives Hit by Hail Ahead of Harvest

Hail on the Chalkidiki peninsula damaged up to 20 percent of the region’s olives, incurring an estimated €1.8 million in damages.

Aug. 24, 2022

One Year After a Devastating Fire in Montenegro, Farmers Continue to Rebuild

While a court ruled that olive growers were entitled to some compensation, the emotional and cultural pains endure.

Aug. 18, 2022

Europe Confronts Worst Drought in 500 Years, Officials Say

Countries in southern and western Europe are bearing the bunt of the drought, with varying impacts on olive farmers and society writ large.

Aug. 4, 2022

Thousands of Olive Trees Destroyed by Wildfires in Tuscany

High temperatures, windy weather and dry soil served as a catalyst for the estimated 279 wildfires burning across the central Italian region.

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Sep. 1, 2021

Italian Olive Growers Suffer Through Long Summer of Drought, Wildfires

Coldiretti estimates that wildfires cost the Italian agriculture sector at least €1 billion in damage. Olive growers blame climate change for longer, hotter and drier summers.

Aug. 24, 2021

Algerian Farmers in ‘State of Shock’ After Week of Deadly Fires

While the damage to olive groves has yet to be fully assessed, some experts believe the fires will impact the 2021 harvest and prices.

Aug. 23, 2021

Thousands of Hectares of Olive Trees Burned to Ashes Across Southern Turkey

Producers worry that the country’s worst wildfires in recent memory are a symptom of climate change, and that the government is not adequately preparing for future fires.

Aug. 20, 2021

Wildfires Devastate Agricultural Land in Turkey

Large areas in the south and southwest of the country have been reduced to ashes after dozens of wildfires erupted in the country.

Aug. 17, 2021

Heatwave, Deadly Fires Threaten the Approaching Olive Harvest in Greece

The ongoing drought has led to wildfires burning around the country, damaging olive trees, and further diminishing the prospects of the 2021 harvest.

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.

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