In previous newsletters, we have often spoken about our organic approach to farming. We chose to follow organic principles for a variety of reasons that are likely already familiar, healthier soils, increased biodiversity, and the absence of chemical residues in our olive oil, to name a few.

However, there is another important reason behind our approach, one we have touched on before, but perhaps not emphasised enough. In this newsletter, we would like to focus on why we believe organic produce can offer superior nutritional quality.

Most non-organic olive farms rely heavily on synthetic fertilisers to push their trees into accelerated growth. While this increases yield, it often leads to a dilution of nutrients in the fruit. This relationship between rapid plant growth and reduced nutrient concentration is well documented in agriculture, and olives provide a particularly clear example.

In the case of olives, the key components affected are not just basic minerals, but also important secondary compounds such as polyphenols. These compounds are responsible for many of the health benefits associated with olive oil, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and they also contribute significantly to flavour and stability. When trees are driven to grow quickly through high fertiliser inputs, they tend to prioritise the production of oil over these valuable compounds. As a result, although more oil may be produced, it often contains lower levels of polyphenols and has a milder taste and reduced nutritional value.

Fruit size and water content also play a role. Rapidly grown olives are often larger and contain more water, which further dilutes the concentration of beneficial compounds. As with many crops, increased volume does not necessarily mean increased nutritional density.

At Querubi, we have taken a different approach. We fertilise our fields using organic inputs, including sheep and horse manure sourced from neighbouring farms. This natural fertilisation supports healthy growth but does not push the trees into an accelerated, high-stress production cycle. Compared to conventional systems, our trees remain smaller and our yields are typically lower, around a third of those from intensive, non-organic farms. However, what we lose in volume, we gain in quality. Because our trees are not stressed into excessive growth, the polyphenol content of our oil exceeds 600 mg/kg, a truly exceptionally high level.

This reflects the core of our Querubi farming philosophy: unstressed trees produce superior fruit, and superior fruit yields superior oil. We farm for quality and with care, not for volume. 

We hope you enjoy our oil!

With gratitude The Querubi Team