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The amazing price of 510 euros for a half liter of Greek olive oil captured plenty of attention, but the full story has deeper roots in ancient Greek olive trees. Some of these ancient trees are being preserved and promoted by the Eptastiktos cooperative that donated that precious oil to a Dutch charity auction, and also helps its Cretan community.
The 510 euro bottle of olive oil made from the fruit of ancient trees was donated to an auction to help cover the maintenance costs of the Foundation Historic Garden Aalsmeer in the Netherlands. Eptastiktos contributed this bottle to honor Paul Cooper of the Netherlands. According to Nick Kampouris, “Cooper is considered to be an integral figure in the development of the agricultural economy of eastern Crete, introducing innovative cultivation techniques” for olive trees.