Successive heatwaves, protracted drought and wildfires have left European farmers fretting over lost production and rising costs.
Production has been affected across a wide range of products: olive, grapes, vegetables, corn and sunflower seeds to name a few.
In Spain, production of olive oil in the 2025-26 season dipped 9% and, even though authorities estimate that reserves are enough to meet demand, this summer’s wildfires threaten to further depress production. In Greece, 2025-26 olive oil production dipped 6%, to 235,000 tons, according to EU estimates and no safe predictions can be made about the 2026-27 yield.
Conditions vary from one region to another and the final yield will depend on the availability of water, the duration of heat waves and a possible occurrence of diseases and the appearance of harmful insects.
The wildfires have added another layer of uncertainty. In Rethymno, Crete, last week’s wildfire in which two firemen lost their lives mostly damaged olive groves and farmland.
