Olive Revolution: Pakistan Becomes Olive Councils’ Member
Pakistan has become a member of the IOC, marking an olive revolution in the country. The International Olive Council (IOC), an international organization of states that produce olives or products derived from olives, has welcomed Pakistan as a full member.
The council already had 18 members, the majority of them are Mediterranean countries from Europe and the Middle East. Following a visit from IOC Executive Director Abdul Latif Ghadira in October and a Pakistani delegation’s visit to the IOC’s headquarters in February, Pakistan has become the organization’s nineteenth member.
What are the current stats?
Pakistan presently has 3.6 million olive plants on 31,000 acres of land and wants to expand to 75,000 acres. According to Strategic Consultants Juan Vilar, Pakistan produces 1,500 tons of olive oil and 830 tons of table olives per year.
What will be the future?
The full membership of Pakistan would improve international cooperation, bring the Pakistani olive oil industry closer to the council, and encourage the use of IOC standards in global markets. The council yearly funds the national projects of its member countries. Pakistan’s olive development programme may get money from the council.
These efforts will assist Pakistan in becoming self-sufficient in olive production and eventually exporting olives. Pakistan is the third-largest importer of cooking oil in the world, with $2.1 billion in palm oil imports in 2020-21. It will be able to apply the most up-to-date techniques and procedures to boost its olive production thanks to the IOC’s certification. Such steps shall improve the impact of this olive revolution.
The increase in Olive oil production will reduce the country’s dependency on palm oil imports. Morever, using locally produced olive oil instead of costly imported olive oil will tremendously benefit Pakistani citizens.
How will the olive revolution be beneficial for us on the agricultural front?
Climate change, and water security, are two major threats to Pakistan’s agriculture economy. According to reports, Pakistan will become a water-scarce country by 2025; consequently, policy guidelines must be established to address the country’s water-related concerns.
Olive plants, in comparison to other plants and crops, require the least amount of water. Other key reasons for Pakistan to cultivate olive trees on a large scale, and that too as a top priority, are the difficulty of water shortage and the sustainability of olive plants in order to meet edible oil requirements and address climate change and water security.
Olive revolution in the country would not only boost the economy. It will also help the country adapt to water shortages and reduce climate change.
But how did we reach so far?
PTI is responsible for olive revolution because it all started after the previous government’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme. The programme started in 2014.
PTI government’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme started in 2014.
Billion Tree project praise by IMF:
Morever, after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) disclosed how the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project was born, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran claimed credit for leading the first administration in Pakistan’s history to reverse the deforestation trend. The credit of the secret olive revolution goes to PTI government.
According to a post from the IMF’s Twitter account, Pakistan must conserve its forests in order to survive the climate change. “But deforestation levels in the country have reached a record high. So, the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami was born.”
What is currently being done on the local level to sustain the olive revolution impact?
Many new laboratories are being set in different rural areas.
Traditional farming and contemporary technology would bring vast swaths of land back to productive use, generating jobs and economic prosperity. Over 16,000 hectares and 3.6 million olive trees are being irrigated with drip irrigation systems.
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