Finding unique gift ideas during the holiday season can be difficult, especially when shopping for those who already have everything. Rather than the latest gadgets, surprise and delight your loved ones with a gift that truly gives back, helping Greece and the environment, through My Precious Olive Tree, an olive tree adoption program based in Ampelos, Greece. Founder Ioanna Kanellopoulou spoke to The National Herald about the program.

Having studied Communication and Mass Media and worked for many years on television as a reporter and presenter, Kanellopoulou decided to change careers and do something that could involve her children and also teach them something good.

When asked where the idea for My Precious Olive Tree came from, she told TNH, “The Greek crisis affected the media sector dramatically, so much so that I began thinking about an alternate career path. It was during this time that I inherited an olive grove from my grandparents, who always said ‘our land is blessed, we are privileged to produce our own olive oil.’ With that in mind, I found myself often in the olive grove and mill, thinking about how to sustain and/or make our family grove flourish.

Kanellopoulou continued, “For two years, I studied how to care for olive trees. I travelled and spoke with other farmers and olive oil experts and scientists. The olive oil we produced won a couple of major prizes, which inspired my desire to share our olive oil with the world. An olive tree adoption program was born out of this wish.”

She told TNH that the program is growing when asked about its progress so far. “It is encouraging. The community of adoptive parents is growing daily, especially from Northern Europe. We are currently focused on promoting our olive tree adoption program in the U.K. and U.S.,” Kanellopoulou said.

In 2017, My Precious Olive Tree olive oil travelled for the first time to New York, in order to participate in one of the most important olive oil competitions in the world, the prestigious New York International Olive Oil Competition.

The international panel of experienced judges, awarded the extra virgin olive oils that stood out for their taste and flavor. My Precious Olive Tree was honored with the Gold Award 2017.

As noted on their website, “This great distinction rewarded our continuous effort and our passion to produce an excellent extra virgin olive oil. And above all, this award is a commitment for all of us working for My Precious Olive Tree, to maintain the high quality standards for our olive oil.”

Adopting an olive tree for yourself or to give as a gift is a simple process online and there are wonderful benefits, as well. My Precious Olive Tree adoptive parents receive an authentic Greek extra virgin olive oil of proven superior quality produced exclusively for them in a small family grove.

As the owner of an olive tree in Greece, those adopting know the exact origin of the olive oil they consume and experience the real benefits of a truly fresh, healthy, and flavorful olive oil, while supporting small farmers and helping them connect with international markets.

In this way, the program helps in keeping prosperous and sustainable a small part of nature and those adopting an olive tree receive olive oil delivered to their doorstep with no extra delivery cost.

More information about My Precious Olive Tree is available online: mypreciousolivetree.com.