FOREWORD

I am especially pleased that the organization of the 3rd International Symposium on Olive Growing in Chania, gives me the opportunity to welcome you here, not only as the chairman of the Organizing Committee, but also as a Cretan and above all, as a citizen of Chania. We consider it a great honor and pleasure that Crete was chosen as the place for our 3rd International Symposium on Olive Growing.

Our research work is especially important for Greece and the other Mediterranean Countries, because olive oil and the olive tree play a crucial part in our economies and diet. Nowadays, olive oil is the most important agricultural product of our island. The Cretans are closely tied to the production and consumption of olive oil.

I would like to welcome all the foreign and Greek scientists who are participating in this symposium and I would like to thank all those who have contributed in any way to its success.

I once again wish the congress success and everybody a pleasant stay on our island.

I count on each and every one of you, to make this Symposium a success.

I. Metzidakis
Chairman
Organising Committee

Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

With the Third International Symposium on Olive Growing behind us, I would like to share a few thoughts with you.

It certainly was a Symposium with a record in participation, with colleagues coming not only from neighboring Mediterranean countries but also from far away places. This reflects the increasing interest, which the olive tree creates as a crop and explains the speed with which it is being introduced into countries where it has not been cultivated yet. The high nutritional value of olive oil, due its unique chemical composition and the need for a healthier human diet, are the main reasons for this expansion.

The importance attributed to the olive tree is also reflected in the number of papers presented in this Symposium, and in the fact that the research on olive has expanded and entered scientific areas not exploited before. In these papers all aspects of science were represented, from the classical methods of propagation and orchard management to the most sophisticated techniques of molecular biology. Each one of the papers contributed to our effort to understand better the olive, this wonderful tree, and its functions.

The editing of more than 160 papers, oral and posters, was not an easy task. All the papers have been reviewed by at least two experts and no effort was spared to improve them, where necessary, without interfering with what the author wished to say. The final result of this effort lies in these two volumes.

Since the early days of civilization, the olive tree has been the common heritage of the peoples living around the Mediterranean basin. It has always been the symbol of boundy and wealth and especially the symbol of Peace. This Symposium was about sharing knowledge on olive growing. It will be considered a successful Symposium if this knowledge is used for the improvement of human life.

Demetrios Voyiatzis
Chair (1993–1997),
Olive Working Group, ISHS