28 August 2026

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Today's top story

Climate, wars and fuel shortages foster famine fears

Now for round two.



Just as the global economy was adjusting to higher fuel prices, a new inflationary wave is about to hit.

This time, the shortages will revolve around food, and the poorest nations on the planet will be the worst affected.

Australia

Growers urged to join industry think tanks, as increasing strain on farmers revealed

By Laura Thomas

A deepening mental health crisis is affecting Australian agriculture.

Challenges associated with rising farm costs, natural disaster and ongoing global tension is piling the pressure on farmers and rural communities across the country.

A series of problem-solving think tank events are set to bring olive growers together in the coming months – at a time when many industry members need it most.

Find out more.

Celebrate our biosecurity system

Biosecurity works quietly in the background, around the clock, protecting many things we all value. It helps safeguard the food we eat, the natural places we cherish, and the health of our plants, animals and communities.



National Biosecurity Week is our opportunity each year to draw back the curtain. We invite you to take a closer look at biosecurity in Australia.

Why Australia's weather is seeing a soaking while a record El Niño is forming

El Niño is synonymous with drought in Australia, but another rainband is lining up to soak the nation this week.



This follows multiple widespread soakings earlier this year, and 2026 is on track to become Australia's wettest El Niño year on record.

AOA Classifieds

Got something to sell? Want to buy?

If you’ve got something industry-related to sell, you can reach your target market directly with our grower-to-grower service - AOA Classifieds.

Our online classifieds are an easy and inexpensive solution to advertising your unwanted equipment. And if there’s something you’re looking for, it’s the ideal way to get the message out loud and clear to your peers and industry associates!

Classifieds start from as little as $44 for AOA members ($110 for non-members) and are online now at www.australianolives.com.au/classifieds

For details, rates, or to create a classified, hit the button below.

NEW CLASSIFIED! Extra Virgin Olive Oil for sale

Act now or pay forever: Australia’s escalating biosecurity crisis 

Australia spends at least $25 billion every year dealing with invasive species and the damages they cause. But the biosecurity threats and environmental risks facing us are growing faster than we can respond to them. We need an urgent overhaul or risk our country being even more exposed over the next few decades than we were even a few years ago.

Warning for farmers to watch for locusts as spring nears

Grain Producers Australia is urging growers across South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria to remain alert as the risk of Australian plague locust activity increases heading into spring.

National Agriculture Day 2026

National Agriculture Day is coming back this November, a chance to connect, spark conversation, and proudly recognise the people who feed and clothe our nation.

The theme this year is Our Farmers, Our Future, showing Australia the people growing our food and fibre, managing our land, and sustaining our regional communities.

Save the date: Friday 20 November 2026.

Navigating US tariffs: briefing on 12.5% US tariff announcement

Join Austrade and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for an overview on the latest US tariff developments and support available for Australian exporters.

International

Extreme summer weather clouds Europe’s olive harvest

Prolonged heat and drought are weighing on olive development from Turkey to Croatia, while wildfires and pests add pressure ahead of the 2026/27 harvest.

Tunisia olive oil exports surge 55%, bringing in $1.6 billion

Tunisia's olive oil exports surged 55.3% to a record 368,000 metric tons in the first nine months of the 2025/26 season, bringing in $1.6 billion in export revenue, up 44.4% from a year earlier, official data showed on Friday.

Spain imports 84% more olive oil: from which countries it arrives and how it affects the price

Spain is increasingly turning to olive oil from countries outside the European Union.

Olive oil takes center stage in Spanish childhood obesity program

More than 27,000 students in Extremadura participated in a school health program that put olive oil at the center of lessons on diet, exercise and disease prevention.

Inspiring a revival of olive oil production in Corfu

A dozen years ago, Corfu’s olive oil production had almost stopped. Farmers were abandoning centuries-old olive groves as if they were worthless.

Does extra virgin olive oil support weight loss? Health research findings

Researchers are examining extra virgin olive oil in everyday meals to assess effects on digestion, appetite signals, and post-meal energy, addressing crashes after high-carbohydrate foods.

Türkiye's 1,332-year-old olive tree still bears fruit

In the rural Altinbasak neighborhood of Sanliurfa's Eyyubiye district, a registered olive tree known as "Cudi" has stood atop a dominant hilltop overlooking the surrounding steppe for an estimated 1,332 years, continuing to produce fruit despite its extraordinary age.

Calendar 2026

28 August

Awards presentation dinner, 2026 Royal Adelaide Olive Awards - hosted by Olives South Australia

www.olivessouthaustralia.org.au

28 August

Entries close for table olives and tapenades, Hunter Olive Show - Hunter Valley, NSW

www.hunterolives.asn.au/how-to-enter

3 September

Entries close, WA Olive Awards

www.oliveswa.com.au

11 September

Entries close for olive oil, Hunter Olive Show - Hunter Valley, NSW

www.hunterolives.asn.au/how-to-enter

8 October

Awards ceremony, WA Olive Awards

www.oliveswa.com.au

15 October

Awards presentation, Hunter Olive Show - Hunter Valley, NSW

www.hunterolives.asn.au/how-to-enter

Email Laura to have your event included.

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Friday Olive Extracts brings the latest industry news and events direct to your inbox each week.

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For Friday Olive Extracts editorial and advertising enquiries, email Laura at comms@australianolives.com.au