From the Tree to the Kitchen - The Journey of Palestinian Olives

Olives are harvested across Palestine through October and November (MEE/Rich Wiles)

Some famers use sticks to knock the fruit from the trees whilst others pick each olive by hand (MEE/Rich Wiles)

High branches are pruned from trees which helps generate new growth (MEE/Rich Wiles)

Once picked, the fruit is loaded into sacks for transportation to the market or to olive presses (MEE/Rich Wiles)

In the West Bank, fresh olives are being sold for between 6-8 shekels (1.6-2.15 US dollars) per kilo this year (MEE/Rich Wiles)

Before being sold for pickling, salt is add to the fruit before its skin is crushed to stimulate ripening (MEE/Rich Wiles)

Many farmers take their fruit directly to a press to produce olive oil (MEE/Rich Wiles)

Most city-based presses are now fully mechanical. The machines sort and wash the olives before the water and oil are extracted separately (MEE/Rich Wiles)

This year, fresh olive oil is selling for between 400-450 shekels for a standard 16 litre container in Ramallah (MEE/Rich Wiles)

Farmers wait outside the olive press in Ramallah to transport their oil to their houses (MEE/Rich Wiles)

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