LocationsUNDP Albania
2030 Starts Today: The Young Entrepreneurs Reimagining Olive Oil in Belsh, Albania
March 24, 2026
Belsh—an area known for its 84 lakes and centuries-old olive traditions.
Photo credits: Jolla Olive Oil
Has anybody ever asked you where you see yourself in 2030?
Most of us would pause. Most of us would hesitate. But Heraldo and Sabjan don’t.
They see 2030 clearly.
They see rows of silver-green olive trees under the Albanian sun. They see bottles of premium extra virgin olive oil on gourmet shelves across Europe. They see “Grekan” proudly displayed on labels in Italy, the EU, even the USA. They don’t just see the future.
They are building it.
###
In the heart of Grekan, a village in the municipality of Belsh—an area known for its 84 lakes and centuries-old olive traditions—two young men decided to stop waiting for opportunity.
Instead, they would create it.
One had spent ten years in migration. The other had experienced the frustration of a business that didn’t succeed.
Both knew uncertainty. Both knew what starting from zero felt like.
But they also knew something else: their land held 1,500 to 2,000 olive trees.
Olives are patient. They return every year. So did they.
In 2022, Heraldo Cekrezi and Sabjan Rusta registered Grekan shpk. Not just as a company—but as a commitment.
Their factory stands in the center of the village, a renovated one-floor facility dedicated entirely to olive oil production.
Heraldo Cekrezi and Sabjan Rusta
UNDP Albania
Each year, 150–170 farmers bring their olives there. 85 tons of olive oil processed and 25 ton sales only for this season. Five to six people find seasonal employment. Dozens of families depend on the service.
The result is more than oil.
It is local value. Local income. Local dignity. But building it wasn’t easy. A long-term credit line weighed heavily. There were seasons of doubt. Then came the turning point.
The Turning Point: Growing with Their Business
One ordinary day, they received a call from the Agricultural Department at the Municipality of Belsh. There was an opportunity to join Growing with Your Business (GYB), a UNDP-supported programme funded by the Government of Sweden and implemented in partnership with FAO, ILO and UNIDO.
They could have said, “We already know how to make olive oil.”
Instead, they said: “Business changes every day. We don’t know everything.”
That decision reshaped their future.
Through the support of a dedicated GYB business consultant they strengthened their technical and managerial capacity. They improved their knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices and 5S. They reworked their business model.
They gained clarity on costs, revenue streams and customer segments. They learned how marketing builds positioning—not just visibility. They strengthened their financial planning and sustainability practices.
Most importantly, they shifted their mindset.
The factory was no longer just a place to press olives.
It became a brand in development.
Grekan now has a new commercial image, thanks to the GYB methodology.
UNDP Albania
They participated in international agritech webinars, joined “Export ON 2026,” and began exploring new markets. They redesigned their business model—moving beyond bulk processing toward a premium bottled, cold-extracted, single-origin extra virgin olive oil line.
“What impressed me most about Heraldo and Sabjan was their humility,” says Alketa Qendro, the business consultant supporting them. “Despite already running a functioning factory, they came to every session as learners. They asked questions, took notes, and—most importantly—applied what they learned immediately. They didn’t just attend the training; they turned knowledge into action.”
That one phone call gave them direction. And direction changed everything.
2030: A Bottle with a Story
Their dream is bold: Extra premium, cold-extracted, limited-harvest, single-origin olive oil.
Not just sold by the liter. But bottled with identity. Traceable. Pure. Sustainable.
A new commercial image is ready. A website is under development.
New markets are in sight—gourmet consumers, HoReCa channels, gift markets, export destinations.
Because olive oil has a season. But ambition doesn’t.
They are expanding ideas beyond production. Diversifying income streams. Stabilizing their business model.
They are not building a seasonal factory. They are building resilience.
Nora Kushti, Communication Specialist at UNDP Albania, in discussion with Heraldo on his experience and journey with the GYB methodology.
UNDP Albania
###
This is not just a story about olives. It’s about migration turning into return. It’s about uncertainty turning into strategy.
It’s about young people choosing rural Albania—not leaving it. It’s about asking a different question: Not “Where will I be in 2030?”
But “What can I build so that others can see themselves here in 2030 too?”
Herald and Sabian see a village where farmers don’t sell cheap and raw.
They see value added locally.
They see jobs created locally.
They see Grekan on the Mediterranean map—not as a forgotten dot, but as a premium origin.
And in 2030, when someone finally asks them where they see themselves—
They will simply hold up a bottle. And say:
“Right here.”
Related
content
content
