Seferihisar, Izmir – 19 August 2024
Sevilma Olive Oils offers olive oil enthusiasts a new experience with its pure, healthy and ethically sourced products, from nature to the table.
Sevilma Olive Oils was founded by Dr Güven Eken, an honorary member and one of the founders of the Doğa Association, with the aim of preserving and promoting traditional Anatolian olive cultivation.
Certified by Slow Food
The foundations of Sevilma Olive Oils were laid in 2018 at the Seferihisar Nature School. Thanks to the initiatives of Doğa School, the olive oils produced from the ancient olive groves of the Aegean were awarded the “Presidium” title by Slow Food International in 2018. Turkey had previously seen Siyez Bulgur, Boğatepe Gravyer and Divle Obruk Cheese included in the “Presidium” network, which comprises some of the world’s rarest and most delicious products.
The ancient olive groves of the Aegean Region are created by grafting local varieties onto ‘delice’ (wild olive trees). In this production cycle, which has continued for thousands of years, no agricultural pesticides are used, the soil is not ploughed and the trees are not watered. These unique olive groves are not enclosed by wire or fences. The ancient olive groves of the Aegean are used as pastureland for small livestock. As natural ecosystems, these ancient production areas provide a habitat for many rare species, such as jackals, squirrels, short-toed eagles and hedgehogs.
One of the most striking features of the ancient production basins comprising the Aegean olive groves is their resilience to the climate crisis. In these areas, the olive trees are not irrigated. They obtain the water they need from rainwater that collects on small, hand-built terraces.
Protection from UNESCO
This valuable example of Anatolian cyclical agriculture, which is still practised today, was inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2023 following official initiatives by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. UNESCO has placed this culture, which has continued uninterrupted for thousands of years, under protection as “Intangible Cultural Heritage” under the title “Traditional Knowledge, Methods and Practices Related to Olive Cultivation in Anatolia”.
A specialised factory was set up
As the latest phase of the work undertaken, the Ercan Baba Olive Oil Mill was established, specialising in preserving the Aegean’s ancient olive culture and producing olive oils of high gastronomic value. The planning process for the facility, which began in 2018, was completed in 2022 following the granting of the necessary permits. Now one of Seferihisar’s iconic architectural landmarks, the Ercan Baba Olive Oil Factory has been producing oil under strict hygienic conditions for the past two years.
In recent days, these unique oils – the product of Anatolia’s millennia-old olive culture – have begun to be brought directly from nature to the table under the Sevilma brand, with no middlemen involved.
With Sevilma, we’re protecting both our health and the environment
Dr Güven Eken, founder of Sevilma Olive Oils, commented on the matter:
“The most important feature that sets Sevilma apart from other olive oils is that we press the oil without blending olive varieties with different flavours. We press the olives at our own facility and package the oil there too, producing pure olive oil from a “single source” with a clearly defined geographical origin and variety. Sevilma is a unique journey that enables us to protect both our own health and nature. We owe this journey to the inspiration we draw from the Aegean producers who have tended olive trees with the precision of an embroiderer for centuries. We continue to work meticulously to preserve the ancient bounty of Anatolia and bring healthy olive oil to our tables. We would like to thank everyone who has joined our collective effort to keep Anatolia’s olive culture alive by choosing Sevilma.”.
Sevilma olive oils are available to buy online
By visiting the Sevilma.com website, you can discover our unique and healthy olive oils, produced with the utmost care, and become part of this collaborative effort.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +90 543 657 66 23
Website: www.sevilma.com
Instagram: @sevilmafood
Türkçe 
English (UK)