In Greece, iconic olive crop becomes a climate change front line

The olive tree, according to Greek mythology, was created by Athena, the goddess of wisdom, as a gift to the people of her namesake city, Athens. Olives and olive oil have become synonymous with Greece, and are credited, in part, with fueling the rise of Greek civilization.

But despite a history spanning thousands of years, these culinary pillars of Greek identity are under threat. Small farmers expect this year’s harvest season, which got underway in November, to be one of the worst years on record, thanks to climate change and the irregular seasonal shifts it has wrought upon the flowering process and fruit development.

“We are collecting olives much earlier than ever before. Our producers do not recall any year like this,” says Michael Antonopoulos, president of the Agricultural Cooperative of Kalamata. “I think