Olive oil is the main product, obtained from olives, the traditional perennial tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is the pure extract of the olive fruits, full of aromas and subtle flavors, with a great range of characteristics, depending on the different varieties, cultivation practices, and the unique Mediterranean climate.
Olive tree has been a great part of Greek history and tradition from the ancient times. In ancient Greece olive oil was used to produce both medicine and cosmetics: Hippocrates called it “the great healer” and Homer “liquid gold”, while Galen praised it for its positive effects on health.
Wild olives have been collected since the Neolithic period, but the first domestic cultivation began, most probably, in Crete, and specifically during the Minoan period (3000-1000 BC). In fact, no other fruit bearing tree has ever been praised as much as the olive tree. It has been the symbol of peace, wisdom, fertility, and victory to this day.
Nowadays, olive has been the main crop cultivated in Greece, numbering 11.6 million acres with over 170 million trees. The olives of 81% of cultivated olive trees head to olive mills to be extracted for oil, while the remaining 19% ends up being used for consumption as table olives. In spite of the crop extent in Greece, Greek farmers struggle daily in order to keep producing quality olive oil and preserve their traditional orchards, due to high production costs, lack of labor, and competition with bigger olive producer countries such as Italy and Spain.
These are exactly the issues MyElia aims to eliminate; to help sustain Greek traditional olive orchards, and help olive farmers bring out their high-quality products by the use of digital technology. We want to become the means of a more sustainable way of production, and at the same time to give customers the opportunity to taste unique, traceable, Greek olive oil.
Come aboard, and become part of the Greek tradition.
