When Onur, fleeing danger in his homeland, first touched the bark of a 500-year-old olive tree on Lesbos, he had only one thought: the safety of his family. He certainly wasn’t thinking about cities as far away as Tokyo — and even less about the possibility that the olive oil pressed by his own hands would win a silver medal there.

On the same island that has become a symbol of crisis and human displacement, trees still grow that remember the days of the Ottoman Empire. Today, thanks to the work of those who sought refuge here, their fruit brings not only hope but also award-winning olive oil recognized on the other side of the world.

With pride and emotion, we want to share that our high-polyphenol olive oil NIKA has won a SILVER MEDAL at the Japan Olive Oil Prize in Tokyo— one of the most prestigious competitions in the world. A jury halfway across the globe recognized the taste and quality of a product born on our farm on Lesbos.

This medal is no accident. It’s proof that giving people work, dignity, and purpose truly matters. Proof that olive oil from centuries-old trees, harvested early and pressed within hours, belongs to the world’s top tier (ours has an acidity of just 0.29%, compared to the extra virgin standard of 0.8%).

It’s your support — your contributions to the growth of our small olive oil mill in Home Village on Lesbos — that made this possible. You helped us employ Onur, James, and others in search of safety. You made it possible for us to send this extraordinary product to the other side of the world to prove its worth.

This silver shines with your light. Thank you!