Olive harvest in southern Lazio, Italy. Olives are a precious fruit, the star ingredient of the Mediterranean diet. Olives are small fruits belonging to the olive tree. They are native to the Mediterranean area - Stockfoto

Olives are a precious fruit, the star ingredient of the Mediterranean diet. Olives are small fruits belonging to the olive tree. They are native to the Mediterranean area. Harvesting olives by hand directly from the tree for millennia was the only way farmers used to pick the drupes from the olive trees, using simple tools such as hand combs, ladders and nets. Today, those who choose this way perform the same gestures as back then, using tools that are very similar in shape, although technologically improved: above all, the materials change, being stronger, lighter and more hygienic.