SPATA, Greece (AP) — In an olive grove on the outskirts of Athens, grower Konstantinos Markou pushes aside the shoots of new growth to reveal the stump of a tree — a roughly 150-year-old specimen, he said, that was among 15 cut down on his neighbor’s land by thieves eager to turn it into money.

    • Salamendacious@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      If you’re really interested in doing the research, there’s an entire black economy on bootleg olive oil and the mafia is a big part of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Italian organized crime is involved in this somehow.

        • SheDiceToday@eslemmy.es
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          1 year ago

          Eh, just don’t go and make an organization dedicated to certifying olive oil… that’s actually effective. There have been several big stories about much of the oil you find in a store being either rancid or at best a mixture of olive oil and something else.