• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
The Healthy Home Economist

The Healthy Home Economist

embrace your right to a lifetime of health

Get Plus
  • Home
  • About
  • My Books
  • Shopping List
  • Archives
  • Log in
  • Get Plus
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Get Plus
  • Log in
  • Home
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Archives
  • My Books
  • Shopping List
  • Recipes
  • Healthy Living
  • Natural Remedies
  • Green Living
  • Videos
  • Natural Remedies
  • Health
  • Green Living
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Healthy Living / Small Olive Oil Farmers Hurt by Lockdowns Need our Help!

Small Olive Oil Farmers Hurt by Lockdowns Need our Help!

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

heirloom olive tree from small Italian farm

It should come as no surprise that the lockdowns of 2020 have devastated small family farms across America as well as Europe. In many places, farmers’ markets were inexplicably closed while fast food joints were labeled as “essential” and remained open.

Adding insult to injury, demand for local foods from independently owned restaurants declined dramatically as consumers were forced to hole up at home.

The result is that approximately 61% of restaurants have closed for good as a result of the first lockdown alone. (1)

Thousands more are expected to fold with secondary lockdowns roiling the industry.

With access to consumers restricted and local restaurant businesses in decline, small farms have been struggling to hold on.

Olive Oil Industry Hit Hard in 2020

Olive farmers in Italy have been particularly hard hit, especially those attempting to preserve heirloom olive trees that are hundreds of years old.

Big industrial oil processors and middlemen don’t buy this type of fruitier tasting oil, favoring cheaper varieties that keep the flavor consistent throughout the year and blend well with lower quality oils like canola and soy destined for supermarket shelves.

Who buys this beautiful light green, fresh-pressed Olio Nuovo that is at its peak of flavor and polyphenol content?

Independently owned restaurants in Italy are a strong support structure for locally produced olive oil. Unfortunately, these restaurants are faring no better than the restaurant industry in other countries.

One restaurant owner had this to say about the new lockdowns implemented in October 2020:

“This is going to destroy us. “We’ve already lost 50 percent of our customers this year. Without government aid, we’re done for” said Augusto D’Alfonsi, who owns the Torricella family-owned restaurant in Rome. (2)

With demand from restaurants a fraction of what it is during a normal year, small family farms producing heirloom olive oil will depend on direct to consumer sales more than ever to survive.

If You’ve Never Bought Olive Oil Direct from the Farm Before, THIS is the Year to Do it!

Carla Bartolucci, founder of Jovial Foods and a passionate supporter of small scale olive oil production, explains why the annual Olio Nuovo sale is so important:

By purchasing this oil, you are continuing to give life to ancient varieties of olive trees that are hundreds of years old. You are fully embracing this gift of the seasons, while protecting biodiversity, and getting excited about tasting the unique flavor that each year brings. (3)

I suggest pre-ordering the Olio Nuovo 3 pack for yourself and if you have one or more loved ones that enjoy quality olive oil, get a 3-pack for them as a gift too. With our robust support in 2020, we can be confident that these small olive oil farmers will be here in 2021 and beyond and not be just another sad casualty of the COVID pandemic.

ancient Italian olive grove

References

(1) Small Businesses Are Closing At A Rapid Pace

(2) Dinner off as Italy closes restaurants early in virus crackdown

(3) Olio Nuovo 2020

FacebookPinEmailPrint
Category: Healthy Living
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: the bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

You May Also Like

Best Search Engines for Health Research

Egg Beaters: Food for Fools

Egg Beaters: Food for Fools

Are Tiger Nuts a "Superfood"? Are They Safe to Eat?

Are Tiger Nuts a “Superfood”? Are They Safe to Eat?

A Visual View of Caffeine

Traditional Foods of the Seminole Tribe of Florida

FDA: Aspirin No Benefit in the Prevention of Heart Attack

FDA: Aspirin No Benefit in the Prevention of Heart Attack

Feeling Tired More Than You Should?

Get a free chapter of my book Get Your Fats Straight + my weekly newsletter and learn which fats to eat (and which to avoid) to reduce sugar cravings and improve energy significantly!

We send no more than one email per week. You will never be spammed or your email sold, ever.
Loading

Reader Interactions

Comments (5)

  1. Tayyaba Gul

    Dec 5, 2020 at 11:50 am

    Thanks for giving such information. Keep it up.

    Reply
  2. Beth

    Dec 4, 2020 at 4:14 am

    I would love to buy new olive oil direct from the farmers….but I am already in Europe. It doesn’t make sense for my olive oil to go to Connecticut first and then come back. And Jovial seems to agree because they only do US shipping. Do you have more direct contact info for some of these farmers, or more local shops that they work with?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Dec 4, 2020 at 8:26 am

      I would suggest contacting Jovial to get that information.

  3. Holly

    Dec 2, 2020 at 4:41 pm

    I’m a firm believer in family owned small businesses. Thank you for making this information available Sara! I’m fortunate that I can do my part.

    Reply
  4. Kent

    Dec 2, 2020 at 12:26 pm

    Thank you. I will support these farmers

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Sidebar

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

5 Secrets to a Strong Immune System

Loading

The Healthy Home Economist

Since 2002, Sarah has been a Health and Nutrition Educator dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. Read More

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Check Out My Books

Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet

5 Secrets to a Strong Immune System

Loading

Contact the Healthy Home Economist. The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. By accessing or using this website, you agree to abide by the Terms of Service, Full Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Affiliate Disclosure, and Comment Policy.

Copyright © 2009–2023 · The Healthy Home Economist · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!