Reasons Why Trader Joe’s Olive Oil Could Be Difficult to Find

If you buy at Trader Joe’s regularly and want to replace your olive oil soon, you may need to spend your money elsewhere. As it turns out, the famous neighborhood supermarket chain is suffering from an olive oil shortage, with many customers complaining that their local TJ’s hasn’t had any in weeks.

One worried customer in New York City recently made a post about the scarcity on Reddit, writing, “It all started about two weeks ago, my dad and I went to TJ’s in Staten Island, NY and there was barely any olive oil.” The consumer went on to describe how nothing had changed after visiting their local two weeks later, and how there was not a single bottle of olive oil in sight when visiting a branch in Queens. “What’s going on with olive oil at TJ’s?” the post’s author inquired, looking for an explanation of the situation.

As it turns out, both Spain and Italy (two of the world’s major producers of olive oil) have been suffering from a drought that has severely impacted their olive oil crops. One Reddit poster who clarified the article stated how the two countries experienced two years of severe weather, resulting in “drought one year and floods the next.” The commenter went on to say that olive oil is manufactured from last year’s olives, and that “we’re now at the point where manufacturing is hitting a snag due to poor harvests.”

It is important noting that this issue mostly affects oils that are 100% Spanish or Italian; nonetheless, olive oil from other locations, such as Greece, may also be facing a similar scarcity owing to climate change. Last September, NPR reported on the olive oil shortfall, citing experts who said the weather had been “very bad for crops in general.” The report also cited the awful drought as the primary cause of a spike in olive oil prices of more than 100 percent in just 11 months.

So, what does this mean for the regular Joe who only requires a bottle for personal use? You may have to shop around at several stores for your olive oil needs. While it appears that Trader Joe’s is already running low on supplies, other businesses may face similar shortages in the near future.