What is Rare Olive Variety?

Across the ancient landscapes of Türkiye, more than one hundred olive varieties are officially registered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Yet behind these numbers lies a fragile reality: caught between shifting market pressures and widespread obscurity, unique varieties restricted to tiny geographical pockets face the quiet threat of extinction.

To protect this living heritage, we define a 'Rare olive variety' using rigorous, objective criteria adapted from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This classification is anchored in hard quantitative data tracking catastrophic population collapse—such as a 50% to over 90% decline in cultivation area or mature trees—or extreme geographic confinement where a variety's total Area of Occupancy (AOO) spans less than 500 km² across five or fewer locations.

The situation becomes even more precarious when total populations drop below 2,500 mature individuals, reaching a critical threshold at fewer than 250. When these dwindling numbers are compounded by rapid ongoing decline or structural vulnerability—such as over 95% of all mature trees being concentrated within a single subpopulation—every remaining grove becomes an indispensable refuge against permanent loss.