Olives are grown primarily around the Mediterranean Sea, with Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal producing the vast majority of the world’s supply. The European Union alone accounts for over 60 percent of global olive oil production. But olive cultivation extends well beyond Europe, reaching into North Africa, the Middle East, parts of South America, Australia, and a handful of U.S. states.
The Mediterranean Dominance
Spain is the undisputed leader, producing nearly 70 percent of the EU’s olive oil output. In the 2024/25 season, Spain’s production is expected to reach about 1.3 million metric tons of olive oil alone. Greece follows at roughly 230,000 metric tons, then Italy at 200,000 and Portugal at 175,000. Smaller but meaningful production also comes from France, Cyprus, Croatia, and Slovenia.
Outside the EU, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, and Egypt are significant producers. Tunisia in particular has become one of the largest olive oil exporters in the world, and its cultivars played a foundational role in the spread of olives across the western Mediterranean. North African and Middle Eastern groves have been in continuous use for thousands of years, and genetic research has traced several key “founder” cultivars back to these regions. A cultivar called Safrawi, for instance, acted as a genetic connector across the entire Mediterranean basin, while Spanish varieties like Gordal Sevillana and Lechín de Granada drove diversification in the western half.
What Climate Olives Need
Olives evolved in a specific climate pattern: hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This is the classic Mediterranean climate, and it’s the single biggest factor determining where olives can grow. Areas where average annual temperatures fall below about 11°C (52°F) are generally unsuitable. Mature trees can handle brief cold snaps down to about minus 7°C (20°F), but young trees are much more vulnerable and can be killed by hard freezes.
Full sun is essential. Olives need long, warm growing seasons to develop fruit and accumulate the oils that make them valuable. They also require a period of winter chill to set fruit properly, which is why they don’t thrive in tropical climates despite the warmth. This balance of heat and mild cold is what makes the 30th to 45th parallels in both hemispheres the sweet spot for olive cultivation.
Altitude and Terrain Limits
Elevation matters almost as much as latitude. Above about 800 meters (2,600 feet), frost becomes too frequent and the growing season too short for reliable production. In parts of Spain, some groves push up to 1,200 or 1,300 meters in sheltered mountain valleys, but these are exceptions. In the Spanish region of Cáceres, nearly 6 percent of olive groves sit at altitudes considered inappropriate for the crop. The combination of cold nights and shorter vegetative periods at high elevation reduces both yield and fruit quality.
Olives in the United States
California is the center of American olive production, particularly the hot interior valleys of the Central Valley and the Sacramento Valley. The Sacramento Valley’s climate closely mirrors the Mediterranean, with its dry summer heat and mild, rainy winters. Most U.S. table olives and olive oil come from this region, where varieties like Arbequina and Mission are popular partly because they tolerate frost better than other cultivars.
Southern Texas also supports commercial olive groves, and there’s been experimental interest in growing olives in the Southeast. Georgia has a historical connection to olives dating back to antebellum production on the Sea Islands, and a commercial grove was planted in Pierce County in 2008 alongside variety trials in Bacon County. But southeastern production remains small-scale and exploratory compared to California’s established industry.
Southern Hemisphere Production
Olives aren’t limited to the Northern Hemisphere. Argentina, Chile, Australia, and South Africa all have growing commercial olive industries, concentrated in regions that share the Mediterranean climate profile. Argentina’s production is centered in the western provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, and La Rioja. Chile grows olives in its central valleys. Australia’s groves are scattered across South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia. These southern producers have a natural market advantage: their harvest falls in April through June, exactly opposite the Northern Hemisphere’s October through December window, allowing them to supply fresh oil during the northern off-season.
Soil Preferences
Olives are famously tolerant of poor, rocky soils, which is part of why they’ve thrived for millennia on Mediterranean hillsides where other crops struggle. What they cannot tolerate is waterlogged ground. Good drainage is the single most important soil characteristic. Sandy and loamy soils work well. Clay soils can work if they drain adequately, but heavy, compacted clay that holds water will rot olive roots.
Salinity and mineral balance also matter. Olives are somewhat salt-tolerant compared to other fruit trees, but they can suffer from chloride toxicity on sandy or saline soils with poor drainage. Boron is another concern: concentrations above 2 parts per million in soil or irrigation water can cause problems. In California, boron deficiency is more common in foothill orchards or on very sandy ground, while excess boron tends to show up where irrigation water carries it in.
When Olives Are Harvested
In the Northern Hemisphere, olive harvest runs roughly from September through December, with the exact window depending on region, variety, and whether the olives are destined for the table or for oil. In Italy, Sicily starts earliest, sometimes picking in September, while Calabria’s harvest can stretch into December. Tuscany typically runs from mid-October through early December. Spain and Greece follow similar timelines. Olives picked earlier tend to produce oil with a more peppery, bitter flavor, while later harvests yield milder, more buttery oil.
Southern Hemisphere harvests mirror this schedule six months offset, typically running from March through June. This staggered timing means fresh olive oil is entering the global market nearly year-round.