Hard pressed to oil the wheels of industry

I never knew that olive oil had such a long historical and cultural background until I stood in front of the biggest and oldest olive tree in the world in an olive farm at Sabina near Rome during my recent trip to Italy.

The 2,000-year-old tree is 15 m tall, measures 7 m at the base and 30 m at the top. It is still in great health and is capable of producing 1,200 kg of olives each year, enough to make 150 kg of oil. Its owner, though, keeps it more as a symbol.

I was in Italy on a media tour organized by the International Olive Council and attended by journalists from around the world. We often came across olive trees that were 100s, even 1,000-plus years old, testament to the depth of Italy's olive oil culture.