Stories

How an olive grower in Pakistan is adapting to climate change

Agribusiness and food systems

22 November 2023

ITC News

Only two countries are harder hit by climate change than Pakistan, which has suffered from severe droughts and floods in recent years.

Tackling the vulnerabilities caused by irregular weather patterns is one of the aims of the Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) programme, which is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and is the European Union’s flagship initiative in Pakistan.

GRASP focuses on agriculture and horticulture, supporting multiple innovative solutions - from policy advocacy to hands-on training for small and medium-sized enterprises in the region, with a commitment to gender equality and climate resilience.

As the COP28 climate talks are set to take place in Dubai, entrepreneurs like Ahmed Khan Buzdar will be watching closely how the negotiations might affect their businesses.

He’s learned innovative ways for his olive orchard to flourish, taking climate action and showing resilience with skills learned from GRASP and ITC.

Scroll through the slideshow below, where he shares his story.

Ahmed Khan Buzdar walks through olive orchard in Pakistan

My name is Ahmed Khan Buzdar from Burg Pusht village in the district of Musakhel Teshil Kingri, and I run a business called Burg Olive Oil Products. I have an olive farm with over 2,000 plants and I produce olive oil.

Photo by ITC

Bowl of black olives next to bottle of olive oil

I sell olive oil to homeopathic companies in Pakistan, to processors, and to consumers. My clients include diabetic and arthritis patients, among others, who use the oil for healing purposes.

Photo by ITC

Man and woman stand in olive orchard in Pakistan

Orchards and farms require water to run and generate a profit. I decided to plant olives as a way to adapt to climate change. The plant can survive in temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius. They require less water and are evergreen. I started the practice after most of my livestock died in the droughts of 2010, which caused a shortage of fodder. This business diversification strategy worked well for me. Now I have some livestock that eat olive leaves that come from pruning the trees.

Photo by ITC

We have experienced climate change in Balochistan. There have been small increases in temperatures and the water table level is going down. In a 60-kilometre radius of our village Burg Pusht, the only water is 1,240 feet underground. However, in my own private land I have been able to extract water through boring or drilling (a tube well). I have also set up a small dam to conserve rainwater, which fills up during the monsoon season in August.

Photo by ITC

Large group of people stand in front of banner printed with words related to agribusiness

Last year I participated in a stakeholder workshop in Quetta organized by the Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) project. Various value chains were discussed and interventions were planned. Recently I participated in an olive exposure visit organized by GRASP. This visit was very helpful as I was exposed to various innovations carried out by Barani Agriculture Research Institute Chakwal and Agriculture Research Institute Peshawar.

Photo by ITC

Man reaches up to hold leaf on olive tree

I understand that sustainable farming and business practices are the way for the future, and to survive in the ever-changing climate. Olive trees have produced fruit for over 1,000 years, but even if my orchards last for 500 years, it is enough for me.

Photo by ITC