In mid-June, before the preparation of the oil mills and the harvest season, Israeli and Palestinian farmers met for three days in Israel. The farmers toured the plantations, visited the Olive Pressed Mills and several others in the area, esteemed the fruit-filled trees, tasted oils, met with chefs who cook with local olive oil, heard about the history of olive oil production in the Middle East and sat together to learn about Methods of growth, marketing, branding, financial management and strategic thinking.

Due to the great similarity in tradition, culture, and history, and due to the geographical proximity, the farmers came to the conclusion that they shared common goals and aspirations. They come from the same climatic zone, grow the same varieties, suffer from the same tree and fruit diseases and suffer the same lack of water for irrigation and cold sores. All of these, accompanied by the partnership in the language (most Israeli farmers are Arab speakers), reinforced the feeling that, within the Mediterranean Basin, these farmers constitute a subgroup of Middle Eastern farmers, Jordanians among them, because they share the same challenges as well as the same tastes.

The farmers ended the three days with a strong desire to continue with full vigor to succeed in the project and beyond. Harvest 2022 and Harvest 2023 looks like a promising year due to the good winter that has passed over the area, and the large amounts of oil will allow ARTOLIO farmers to use all the technological tools and infrastructure they have acquired at the beginning of the project to apply what they have learned.  

Highly motivated olive oil producers are a great gift in an area where the geographical and political climate is constantly hitting them, and ARTOLIO is honored to be a the project that has gained a great group of producers imbued with a desire to prove that it is possible to overcome their differences. The Middle Eastern farmers want to prove that they can overcome the regional circumstances, work together, grow and heal. 

Thanks to the good winter, thanks to the togetherness and partnership, and thanks to the professionalism and dedication of the project organizers and partners, they hope to succeed in implementing all the project’s expectations.