Belsh Has 85 Lakes — But Its Future Is Rooted in Olive Trees

Belsh is famous for its eighty-five lakes. Yet the real heartbeat of this region grows on its hillsides, where olive trees shape livelihoods, identity, and economic potential.

For Aldo Jolla, 33, olives became the path home.

After more than twenty years in Greece — where Aldo and his father built a successful construction company — his family decided in 2020 to return permanently to Albania. Their land in Belsh was rich with olives: 1,200 trees planted by the family. One day at a local mill, curiosity sparked his next chapter.

“How much does it cost to build an oil factory?” he asked.

“Forget it,” came the answer. “It’s almost impossible.”

Instead of deterring him, this pushed Aldo to try. He secured credit and by 2021, opened a modern olive oil factory in Belsh.

To strengthen its competitiveness, capacities, and business expansion in the local and international market, Jolla Olive Oil participated in the Growing with Your Business (GYB) methodology, delivered by UNDP through the joint UN Project “Business Partnerships and Solutions for the SDGs,” supported by Sweden and implemented by UNDP with FAO, UNIDO, and ILO.

GYB is a proven UNDP business support tool used globally for over 15 years. It helps small and medium-sized enterprises sharpen management skills, improve market readiness, and integrate more effectively into local and international value chains. In Belsh, the programme is implemented in close cooperation with the municipality.

Twelve businesses — selected from twenty-eight potential beneficiaries — are receiving a six-month package of support that includes:

• 100 hours of tailored 1-on-1 consultancy
• Specialized training in branding, sales, and market expansion
• Grants of up to 270,000 ALL to upgrade equipment.
• Upgraded commercial image (including logos, flyers, business cards, product catalogues, etc.)

For Jolla Olive Oil, this delivered: improved operations, quality management, commercialization, market and finance access, customer relationships, new partnerships, marketing & communication guidance, a professional website, stronger branding, and hands-on export support.

“I never imagined we could sell online or reach international buyers,” Aldo says. “The consultant helped us think bigger — far beyond what we thought possible.”

Today, Jolla Olive Oil produces between 60 and 150 tons of extra virgin olive oil annually. The factory sits on 6,000 m² of family-owned land and operates with a 55 kW solar installation. Olives are processed within 24 hours using cold extraction methods to preserve quality.

Traceability is a core operational pillar, reinforcing compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and HACCP control standards, while strengthening product safety and market credibility.

Aldo's approach reflects a commitment to sustainability, operational improvement, and long-term value creation rather than short-term production volume", explains Ana Kekezi, project business consultant. "Many small producers have heritage; fewer have structured management discipline behind that heritage. That is where Jolla Olive Oil stands apart."

In 2024 alone, the company collaborated with over 500 local farmers.

Aldo sees growth as a collaborative effort: “If demand grows beyond our capacity, we’ll work with other factories. Partnership is the way forward.”

Environmental responsibility underpins every decision. By-products are reused for soil enrichment or biofuel. Solar energy powers operations. Synthetic inputs are avoided as the company works toward organic certification. For the Jolla family, sustainability is not a slogan — it is routine.

Looking back, in just five years what began as a modest family-run processing facility has transformed into an emerging exporter, placing Belsh olive oil on international shelves and demonstrating that, with structured business support, Albanian entrepreneurs can confidently compete beyond borders. This is the tangible difference GYB has made — and continues to make — by turning local potential into global opportunity.

“This programme is redefining what’s possible for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. By strengthening their competitiveness, sharpening their business practices, and opening pathways to local and international markets, it is turning local ambition into regional economic growth. When small businesses scale, entire communities move forward,”- says Drilona Toslluku, Project Manager.

###

Jolla Olive Oil is preparing to expand into the EU, UK, and US markets. Its trademark is already registered in the UK, and discussions with Tesco are underway.

For Aldo, international expansion is not about selling more — it is about meeting higher standards, ensuring consistency, premium quality, and helping position Belsh as a Mediterranean hub for premium olive oil.

Aldo’s story shows how migration can build expertise, how setbacks can sharpen direction, and how a single discouraging sentence can fuel ambition. It also highlights the value of partnership — between families, between businesses, and between local entrepreneurs.

Belsh may have eighty-five lakes.

But its future is being shaped in the olive groves.

And if you’re choosing olive oil, consider Jolla.