| An interesting and profitable green investment | | | | (3,750 acres) with olive trees. The company will |
| opportunity is in the Mediterranean Basin in the | | | | plant the hyper intensive arbequinia olive tree |
| country of Algeria. The government of Algeria is | | | | variety. The arbequinia can be planted 1,780 trees |
| engaged in a project to plan one million hectares | | | | to a hectare. This variety begins to bear fruit at |
| (2.5 million acres) of olive trees throughout the | | | | three years instead of five, the usual waiting time |
| country. A Spanish company is taking part in this | | | | for olive trees. This variety can typically produce |
| program through an Algerian subsidiary. The | | | | 11,000 kilograms of olives per hectare. The olives |
| company will be allocating a third of its planting for | | | | typically yield 19% oil. Thus a hectare of arbequinia |
| an investment program in order to capitalize its | | | | olive trees will produce 11,000 x 0.19 = 2,090 liters |
| part in this green program aimed at increasing | | | | of oil. |
| Algeria's olive production, improving processing | | | | Out of the company's 1,500 hectares of planted |
| infrastructure, and increasing the export of high | | | | olives it is allocating 500 hectares for the benefit |
| quality olive oils. In world concerned with planting | | | | of private investors. Investors will be allotted one |
| trees instead of cutting them down this project is | | | | hectare and will be paid interest on their |
| a profitable means of planting trees as well as | | | | investment for the first two years. Thereafter |
| providing employment, and making some really | | | | investors will be paid a reduced rate of interest |
| good olive oil in the process. | | | | and $2 US for each liter of oil produced from their |
| Olive Oil and the Mediterranean | | | | hectare through ten years. At that time their initial |
| The olive as a fruit and its oil are as old as | | | | investment will be returned. As the company will |
| civilization around the Mediterranean Sea. Today | | | | pay investors for the oil their hectare produces, |
| the countries around the Mediterranean Sea | | | | the investor will have not a risk associated with |
| produce 95% of the world's olive oil. The | | | | the price of the oil nor the export and sale of the |
| countries around the Mediterranean also consume | | | | same. The company estimates that an investor |
| 77% of the oil. The worldwide market for olive oil | | | | will earn an average of 11.4% per year on their |
| is increasing. Worldwide consumption doubled in | | | | investment during years 3 to 10 and will double |
| the 1990's and according to reliable estimates will | | | | their money over the time span of the ten year |
| have tripled between 2000 and 2020. Thus, there | | | | investment. Investments will be accepted in |
| is a substantial and growing market for olive oil | | | | increments of $49,630 and will entitle the investor |
| beyond its historic region. Algeria's program is | | | | to the benefits of oil production from one hectare. |
| expected to capitalize on increasing demand for | | | | Project Size |
| olive oil by putting more land into production and | | | | This green project in its entirety will plant a million |
| upgrading processing facilities. | | | | hectares. If put together in one block that would |
| Taking Part in the Algerian Project | | | | amount to a square a hundred kilometers on a |
| Besides taking part in the Algerian government's | | | | side. This is a lot of land but one must remember |
| olive tree planting project the Spanish company | | | | that Algeria is the largest nation bordering on the |
| alluded to will also build a modern processing plant | | | | Mediterranean, the second largest in Africa after |
| in Algeria. Its subsidiary will plant 1,500 hectares | | | | the Sudan, and the eleventh largest in the world. |