Olive growing starting to take root in central Europe

In response to the earliest recorded 'heat day' in southern Austria on April 7th, with temperatures reaching 30 ºC, the Agro Rebels Agency, initiated by Daniel Rössler, Lukas Hecke, and Markus Fink, has started to cultivate Mediterranean fruit trees, including olives, as a new source of income for Austrian farmers. This move comes as part of a broader trend across Europe, where regions previously too cold for such crops, including northeastern Croatia and northern Italy, are now adapting to climate change by embracing olive cultivation. The shift is underscored by data from Italy, showing a significant increase in olive grove areas in central and southern parts of the country from 1992 to 2018, despite a slight overall decrease in olive grove surface area. This adaptation strategy reflects local efforts to mitigate the economic impacts of climate change on agriculture, with the first crop of table olives already harvested in Austria and olive oil production planned for the following year.