The “Slow Olive” festival is held on 14th and 15th of April in Ayvalik, which is a center for olive and olive oil production in Turkey. In the second year of the annual event which is organized in order to discuss olive production and raise awareness about its benefits, the participants learned about the history of olive, its varieties, the global trade of olive and olive oil and the future of the industry.
Speaking at the event, Ayvalik Mayor Rahim Gencer: “The olive is very important for us as a town. We have many growers in the area and it is a significant source of income for us. Olive production is very valuable for our country and the government should do everything in its power to protect it. Some people want to cut down olive trees and to turn those areas into hotels, residential areas or mines. This needs to be stopped. Thankfully the public has been very sensitive about this and are very protective of these olive production areas as they are aware of not only of their economic contribution but their importance in the ecosystem. In the past we did not have such public awareness about green areas and as a result a lot of green areas were lost to construction projects.
Ayvalik has been a production area for olive and olive oil since the 19th century. They were even exporting to other countries in those times. Then our grandfathers continued this business. People in Ayvalik are very protective of their past and their sentimental connection with olive. We have applied to UNESCO already for industrial heritage designation, we have passed the first stage of the process and now the file is in Paris. We will also continue to protect our olive trees in the area with all of our strength. We will also increase the number of facilities to process oil and modernize the already existing one’s."
Source: Mynet