Portuguese children to receive olive oil from their own trees
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João Varela, a 30-year-old agricultural engineer in Avis, Portugal, partnered with the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Avis to launch a project where approximately 40 children will each receive olive oil from a tree they plant.
Varela initiated the project last year, building on his family’s 70-year history farming land belonging to the social welfare organization. The initiative aims to connect children in the rural area to agricultural realities and teach them about olive cultivation.
The project will begin with children from the local nursery, with plans to expand to first-cycle primary school students. Varela has set aside over 100 trees for planting, and also considers extending the program to include older adults. Each olive tree is expected to produce around one liter of oil per harvest, meaning the project could yield 150 liters annually once the trees mature.
The children will receive the oil at home, ideally around Christmas, and will visit the olive groves at least three times a year to learn about pruning, flowering, and harvesting. Varela hopes the project will help people understand the changes happening in traditional olive farming and appreciate the work involved in producing olive oil.
