Birds and the Olive Harvest: How Are Our Olives Picked?
A good question can make us look more closely at something familiar. When a customer wrote to ask whether birds could be harmed during the harvesting of olives for olive oil, we wanted to give her a clear answer. That meant going back to the people who grow and harvest the olives we use.
The concern is understandable. Reports of birds being caught in harvesting machinery are distressing, and knowing where an olive comes from is only part of understanding how it reaches our table.
In this article
- Why olive harvesting raised concerns about birds
- Table olives and olives for oil: why picking differs
- What our growers have told us
- Why the harvesting method matters
Why are birds part of this conversation?
Olive groves can provide shelter for birds, including places to rest overnight. In 2019, researchers writing in Nature highlighted bird deaths associated with mechanical harvesting at night, when birds were roosting in the trees. Their concern centred on intensive olive production and the machinery used to gather the fruit after dark.
This is why the question needs a little more detail than simply asking whether olives are harvested by machine. The method, the time of day and the way the grove is managed all deserve attention.
It is also why we asked our suppliers directly, rather than assuming that the same answer would apply to every olive and every oil.
Table olives and olives for oil: why picking differs
An olive destined for the table needs to keep its skin and flesh in good condition through harvesting and curing. Bruising can affect its appearance and quality, which is why hand picking remains common for table olives.
Olives grown for oil are gathered for milling, so keeping each fruit looking perfect is less important. Mechanical harvesting is widely used, although careful handling still matters: damaged fruit and delays before milling can affect the quality of the finished oil.
This distinction helps explain the different harvesting methods. When considering the risk to birds, we also need to ask which machinery is used and whether harvesting takes place while birds are resting in the trees at night.
For more on the growing and harvesting cycle, read The Olive Tree: From Flower to Harvest.
What our growers have told us
Naturvie and our House Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Naturvie, which produces our House Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Extremadura, Spain, told us that its harvest begins after sunrise.
In its response to our enquiry, Naturvie also explained that night harvesting is not permitted by the regional government. Its confirmation gives us a specific answer about the harvesting of the olives used for our House Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Our Greek Kalamata and Green Olives
Our Greek supplier said: “in Greece with manual harvesting there is little or no danger to bird life.”
Our Nocellara Olives
Our Nocellara supplier confirmed that its olives are handpicked rather than mechanically harvested.
That gives us another clear answer about a particular olive in our range, based on information from the people supplying it.
Why these details matter
It would be easy to gather those responses under a broad “bird-safe” promise. We think the more useful approach is to tell you what has actually been confirmed.
Naturvie confirms harvesting after sunrise. Our Greek supplier describes little or no danger to bird life with manual harvesting in Greece. Our Nocellara supplier confirms handpicking.
As with so much of what we eat, it helps to know the people who grow it. The concern about birds centres on intensive mechanical harvesting at night, when birds may be resting in the trees. Knowing our growers means we can ask how their olives are gathered and share their answers with you.
Our thanks to Helen for raising this with us. Her thoughtful question prompted us to speak to our growers and share their answers here, where others can find them too.