141 TITLE: A agricultura na História de Portugal, pp. 65–66, 490–491, 533–535 AUTHOR: Eugénio de Castro Caldas PUBLISHER: Empresa de Publicações Nacionais, Lda., Lisbon DOCUMENT TYPE: Book DOCUMENT LOCATION: https://purl.pt/23019 LANGUAGE: Portuguese NUMBER OF PAGES: 599 YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1998 Olive growing in Agriculture in the History of Portugal CRISTINA SÁ Office of Planning, Policy and General Administration (GPP) Reference Keywords: olive tree, olive oil, Mediterranean diet, healthy eating, edible oils In these pages, Eugénio de Castro Caldas shows the importance of the olive tree and olive oil throughout history, highlighting their role in Mediterranean civilisations and the economic transformations of the 20th century resulting from the industrialisation of the food sector. 1. Introduction The olive tree, scientifically known as Olea europaea L., is one of the oldest plants cultivated by humanity, and is often considered the first tree to have been domesticated. Its significance extends beyond the agricultural sphere, taking on cultural, symbolic, economic and dietary importance. 2. Origin and spread of the olive tree According to Alphonse de Candolle, an influential 19th-century botanist, the olive tree originated in the region of Asia Minor and Syria, where its cultivation is thought to have begun some 6,000 to 7,000 years ago. Studies indicate that it spread throughout the Mediterranean, encompassing Europe and North Africa. Wild forms of the olive tree already existed in various regions; in
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