The Peak (Olive) Oil Crisis

Why Does the Healthiest of all Fats Suddenly Cost a Fortune?

One of the super-centenarian olive trees I met (and yes, hugged), in Puglia. At their age, they sometimes need crutches.

I’m an olive oil addict. At any one time, there are two bottles going in our kitchen: a well-priced 750 ml (25 oz) bottle for everyday sautéing, and a more expensive 500 ml (16 oz) bottle of flavorful Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese oil for dressing salads and finishing dishes. I regularly shoot down tablespoons of the stuff, as if it were cod liver oil, and I’ve been known to rub it into my skin, like a lotion. Our family of four goes through at least two full-sized bottles a month. That’s getting close to the two monthly quarts people in ancient Rome consumed (under the Cura Annonae, or grain dole, olive oil was one of the products that was distributed free of charge to citizens of Rome). I attribute my young sons’ stamina, high energy levels, and lustrous hair to all the olive oil that their parents sneak into their diet