D-8 countries stress olive and saffron cultivation

For thousands of years the olive belonged to the Mediterranean. Now countries far outside that world — across Asia and Africa — are planting it in earnest, drawn by health, economics and a tree that thrives on hard, dry land. The olive is going global.

The map of olive growing is slowly being redrawn. Countries with no olive heritage at all — in South Asia, in Africa, across the developing world — are now investing seriously in planting groves, sometimes alongside other high-value crops like saffron, and holding conferences to share the know-how. It is easy to overlook, but it is one of the more interesting shifts in the olive world: a Mediterranean tree being deliberately naturalised far from home, for reasons that are entirely practical.

Why plant olives outside the Mediterranean

The motives line up neatly. Health is one: as populations grow richer and more diet-aware, demand for olive oil rises, and importing it is expensive — growing your own cuts a costly bill. Economics is another: the olive is a hardy, drought-tolerant tree that can produce a valuable cash crop on marginal, dry land where thirstier crops fail, which makes it attractive for rural development and for putting difficult ground to work. And there is national ambition — the wish to build a new export industry from scratch, as several countries beyond the Mediterranean have shown is possible.

The hurdles are real

Enthusiasm is not the same as success, and the challenges are considerable. A country starting from zero lacks the accumulated know-how that Mediterranean growers absorb over generations — which varieties suit the local climate, how to time the harvest, how to press well, how to fight local pests and diseases. Building that expertise is exactly why these nations swap scientists, data and staff training, and why cooperation matters so much. New-world producers show it can be done, but it takes patient investment in research, the right cultivars and, above all, learning — not just planting trees and hoping.

What it means for the olive

For the tree itself, this is a quiet vote of confidence. The same qualities that let the olive survive on a stony Greek hillside — toughness, drought tolerance, long life — are what make it appealing on dry land in Pakistan or Nigeria. Whether these young industries flourish will depend less on ambition than on the unglamorous work of matching variety to place and learning to press well. But the direction is clear: the olive, once the signature of one sea, is becoming a genuinely global crop. For the deeper economics of what a bottle is worth, see the true cost of an olive.

Trend	Olive cultivation spreading beyond the Mediterranean
Example growers	Pakistan and other emerging countries
Health driver	Rising demand for olive oil
Economic driver	Cutting import costs; a cash crop for dry land
Agronomic fit	Hardy, drought-tolerant, suits marginal ground
Main hurdle	Building know-how: varieties, pressing, pest control

• The olive is spreading beyond the Mediterranean, into parts of Asia and Africa.
• Growers are drawn by health demand, import savings and a hardy cash crop for dry land.
• Its drought tolerance suits marginal ground where thirstier crops fail.
• The biggest hurdle is know-how — matching variety to place and learning to press well.

Olives beyond the Mediterranean: common questions

Can olives grow outside the Mediterranean?

Yes. The olive is hardy and drought-tolerant, and countries across Asia and Africa are now planting it on suitable dry land, though success depends on choosing the right varieties and building know-how.

Why are new countries planting olives?

Mainly to meet rising domestic demand for olive oil, cut expensive imports, and develop a valuable cash crop that thrives on marginal, dry ground.

Why is the olive suited to dry, marginal land?

It is a tough, drought-tolerant, long-lived tree that can produce a worthwhile crop where thirstier plants struggle, which makes it useful for rural development.

What is the biggest challenge for new growers?

Building expertise from scratch — selecting suitable varieties, timing the harvest, pressing well and managing local pests and diseases.

Is olive oil really becoming a global product?

Increasingly so. Alongside the traditional Mediterranean producers, new-world and emerging growers are steadily widening where the olive is grown.

Drawn from the documented spread of olive cultivation into non-traditional countries and the agronomic and economic drivers behind it.