The International Symposium on Olive Oils of Croatia and the Adriatic Coast is organized by Olive Oil Times in collaboration with the Postira Tourist Board. The patron is the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia. Sponsors of the event include Split-Dalmatia County, the Croatian National Tourist Board, the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, the Municipality of Postira, and Jadran Crikvenica d.d.

The symposium will highlight the region’s unwavering commitment to excellence in olive cultivation and production. It begins on Tuesday, September 16, with a welcome reception hosted by Olive Oil Times editor-in-chief Curtis Cord and Croatia’s Minister of Tourism and Sport, Tonči Glavina. Over the next two days, attendees will engage in a thoughtfully curated program featuring tasting instruction, professional workshops, guided farm visits, expert presentations, and live culinary demonstrations.

Leading instructors and industry experts will explore topics such as premium brand development, sustainable farming practices, and the impact of climate change on olive oil production. Attendees will also enjoy immersive excursions into the olive groves of Brač and gain a firsthand appreciation of the island’s rich agricultural and gastronomic traditions.

The gathering will conclude with a festive closing ceremony honoring producers of excellence and celebrating the Adriatic region’s growing prominence in the world of extra virgin olive oil.

Located on the northern coast of Brač, Postira is a small fishing village with deep agricultural roots and a long-standing connection to olive cultivation. Its surrounding hillsides are lined with centuries-old groves, stone terraces, and traditional architecture that reflect the island’s enduring relationship with the land.

Brač, one of the largest islands in the Adriatic Sea, has long played a central role in Croatia’s olive oil heritage. Its rugged terrain and favorable climate have made it ideal for olive growing, and today the island produces some of the country’s most distinctive extra virgin olive oils.

Fittingly, Postira also hosts the annual World Championship of Olive Picking, a spirited event that honors the region’s traditions and communal ties to the harvest.

By hosting the symposium in Postira, organizers underscore the importance of place in the story of Croatian olive oil — a story shaped by generations of local producers and the unique character of the Dalmatian coast. The symposium will offer a rare opportunity for international collaboration and knowledge sharing in a historic olive-growing region.

Registration is now open at postira.oliveoiltimes.com. Due to limited capacity, early booking is encouraged.

Attendees, who traveled from eight countries, examined olive oil sensory analysis, best practices in farming and production, health benefits, nutrition, culinary applications and quality assurance over the week-long course.

An interdisciplinary and international team of renowned experts led the rigorous program, which incorporated tastings of 100 olive oil samples from every producing region.

Among the participants was Reema Shihadeh, who joined the program to help improve her family’s olive oil business.

“I wanted to deepen my understanding of what defines exceptional quality,” she said. “As an entrepreneur in the beauty and wellness space, I’m especially interested in its health benefits and its impact on skin health.”

“The Olive Oil Times Sommelier Course offered an incredible deep dive into every aspect of olive oil, from tasting and chemistry to harvesting and production,” she added. “I now feel more equipped to discuss the ingredient and look forward to sharing its health benefits with others.”

Olivia Ramos of Olivia LaBomba also joined the course to support her professional efforts, importing high-quality extra virgin olive oil from Spain. “The course was professional, comprehensive, well-planned and impeccably executed,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lela Krstevska said she enrolled to learn more about olive oil quality and health benefits as she plans for her future olive grove. 

“The quality in lectures, the diversity of experts and shared knowledge exceeded my expectations for this project,” she said. “Even more, getting to have a network of great like-minded people who share the same values is just priceless.”

With education squarely in mind, Angelo Lampousis joined the course in preparation for his new general education course at the City College of New York.

“[It was an] extraordinary opportunity to learn from distinguished instructors and from a number of discerning classmates from a wide variety of fields,” he said.

After retiring from the United States Department of Agriculture, Linda Feldman said she joined the course to nourish her love of learning and interest in “growing, producing, cooking and eating food.”

“The course was a perfect blend of information on growing and producing olives and olive oils, and learning how to identify the quality and characteristics of extra virgin olive oil,” she said.

“I loved how the instruction built on itself each day, enriching what I learned in previous sessions,” Feldman added. “The instructors were top notch. The 85 or more tastings over five days capped off the course.”

The Olive Oil Times Education Lab offers innovative courses and online programs to empower a generation of olive oil educators.

Enrollment is already open for the Olive Oil Times Sommelier Certification Program Europe, which will take place in ‘s‑Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, from September 22nd to 26th.

Simon Poole, a Cambridge-based medical doctor, author and health consultant who has spent years investigating the mechanics of the Mediterranean diet, will attend the event.

The event will highlight the scientific evidence supporting the role of extra virgin olive oil in preventing chronic diseases.

“Not only does the oleic acid promote good cholesterol levels, but it also has anti-inflammatory effects and can support healthy glucose regulation,” Poole told Olive Oil Times in a recent interview, referring to some prominent health benefits of daily olive oil consumption.

Other guests will include Amy Riolo, an award-winning chef and ambassador of Mediterranean cuisine.

As an author and expert speaker on healthy cooking, she has highlighted on several occasions how good-quality extra virgin olive oil is an essential addition to any dish, enhancing flavor while also boosting nutritional value.

The Let’s Fight Back Foundation, established by Emblem Olive Oil founder Chasity Pritchett, is dedicated to empowering communities to combat chronic diseases by promoting what Pritchett defines as “the Mediterranean lifestyle.”

“I don’t like to call it a ‘diet’ because diets are usually perceived as temporary behaviors. Instead, this is the way we’re going to eat forever. So, it’s more of a lifestyle,” Pritchett told Olive Oil Times.

“A fight for your life” is the title of the event.

“We are only here for a limited time, here on Earth, we’re all going to pass away. So why are we going to allow the things we eat to bring us to an early death?” she said. “People are now starting to fight for their own lives and the lives of the people they love.” 

“They are fighting because every week they want more out of life, and they do not want to be stuck on medication just because of the way they were brought up to eat,” Pritchett added. “So it is a fight for your life, a life of abundance, a life of health.” 

Pritchett’s journey began in 2019 when she discovered the health benefits of olive oil.

“After researching and hearing about the health benefits of olive oil, knowing that it can prevent and reverse heart disease, high cholesterol, ADHD and all these other chronic illnesses, I asked myself: why is this not known in my community?” Pritchett said.

In response, she launched Emblem Olive Oil, focusing not only on providing high-quality olive oil but also on educating consumers.

Recognizing the lack of representation of black individuals in the olive oil industry, Pritchett was motivated to create a brand that resonated with her community.

The foundation’s flagship program is a free 12-week course that teaches participants how to incorporate extra virgin olive oil into their daily cooking and eating habits.

“I am on a mission to empower individuals to regain their health and eliminate chronic illnesses. And that’s through the Mediterranean lifestyle,” Pritchett said.

According to its promoters, the program has led participants to experience significant health improvements, including weight loss and reduced blood pressure.

Pritchett explained that the May 22 event aims to bring together chefs, physicians and community members to bridge the gap between the culinary arts and medical science, demonstrating how extra virgin olive oil can be a central component in both.

According to Pritchett, who recently completed the Olive Oil Times Education Lab Sommelier Program in London, extra virgin olive oil should be recognized not only as a significant food ingredient but also as a medicinal superfood.

“I want to heal America. I want people to realize how important olive oil is and what it can do in your diet,” she said. “This initiative is a faith-based nonprofit, as without God, I do not believe I could do anything.” 

The Let’s Fight Back Foundation’s efforts align with a growing body of research that supports the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil.

Studies have shown that consuming extra virgin olive oil daily can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

According to the foundation, the goal is to make extra virgin olive oil a staple in American households and a recognized tool in the fight against chronic diseases.

The challenges are significant. According to Pritchett, one of the major ones is the misinformation often found on social media about olive oil.

“That is very hard to counter. Anyone can say anything, like what they say about olive oil’s smoke point,” she said. “People repeat these things over and over and end up believing misconceptions.”

Another issue is olive oil pricing. “It’s about breaking habits, trying to explain to people what quality olive oil is and why it is important to choose that. Not easy to do when you can go into a store and buy a $4 (€3.5) bottle,” Pritchett added.

Olive oil consumption in the United States has dramatically increased in recent decades.

According to the International Olive Council (IOC), it rose from 79,000 metric tons in 1991/1992 to 398,000 tons estimated for the current 2024/2025 season.

However, IOC data show that the U.S. typically produces between 10,000 and 15,000 tons of extra virgin olive oil annually. Imports are expected to reach almost 400,000 tons in the current season.

These figures translate to a per capita consumption of less than two kilograms per annum in the U.S., far below the levels seen in olive oil-rich countries. In Spain, per capita olive oil consumption is estimated at almost ten kilograms per year.

According to Pritchett, the lack of diversity in the olive oil world has hindered awareness from spreading across the entire U.S. population.

“I feel like the U.S. is kind of left out, and my demographic is left out. To me, it’s important that we can all share this knowledge,” she said.

“On top of that, not much research on olive oil has included African-Americans or blacks,” Pritchett concluded. “I would like such a scenario to change. It’s a work in progress.”

Over five days, an interdisciplinary team of renowned experts will instruct participants on olive oil sensory assessment, the latest production and milling techniques, health benefits and nutrition, culinary applications, farming best practices, quality assurance and advanced tasting techniques. 

Nearly 500 olive oil sommeliers, including producers, marketers, importers, merchants, food buyers, quality-control managers, chefs, journalists and lawyers have completed the course.

Alumni have gone on to win international quality awards, launch educational initiatives, write books, provide consulting services and develop programs to improve understanding of olive oil quality, culture and usage.

While many in the growing international network of experts and educators are olive oil professionals, program director Curtis Cord emphasized that the program is designed for anyone interested in olive oil quality. There are no prerequisites for the course.

At the most recent edition of the sommelier program in London, a diverse class of participants praised the quality of the instruction and how they would apply their newfound knowledge in personal and professional capacities.

Stefano Chessa of Oliveto Imports joined the course to further his initiative to market Italian extra virgin olive oils in London with greater authority.

“The event was exceptionally well-organized,” he said. “I now feel much more confident in my understanding of the extra virgin olive oil industry. I am certain this will enhance my interactions with current and future customers.”

Even producers with decades of experience found value in the instruction, learning about the latest trends in farming, milling and quality evaluation.

“I’ve been living and making olive oil in Tuscany for 20 years,” said Elizabeth Ward-Booth. “Many things pertaining to olive oil production have changed over these years. Now, moving to a new area within Tuscany with a reputation for excellent olive oil production, I aim to use my experience and new knowledge to produce the best quality olive oil.”

“I believe the wide knowledge gained regarding olive oil, particularly the importance of attention to detail in harvesting, milling and storage, will be invaluable in producing a fine quality olive oil,” she added.

Registration for the New York program is open on the Education Lab website. Enrollment is limited to 40 participants.

Patrizio Giacomo La Pietra, deputy secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, said the top priority is to restore larger production volumes after years of steady decline.

With 244,000 tons projected for the 2024/25 crop year, Italy is now poised to rank fifth among the major Mediterranean producers, behind Spain (1.3 million tons), Turkey (450,000 tons), Tunisia (340,000 tons) and Greece (250,000 tons).

While the plan is still under development, its draft focuses on strengthening the entire supply chain: supporting olive oil mills, encouraging the creation of new cultivation areas and addressing the widespread abandonment of olive groves.

Presenting the plan to olive sector associations, La Pietra explained that the main goal is to increase Italian olive oil production by 25 percent over the next ten years.

The government aims to reduce production costs by at least 20 percent within the same time frame through public support and restructuring.

“At the ministry, we are working to reactivate the supply chain roundtables, which have been inactive for years, starting with olive oil,” La Pietra said. “We believe that there must be a shared strategy and organizational commitment before investing.”

Fostering greater collaboration between operators, including shared infrastructure, coordinated decision-making and improved training of seasonal workers, will be key to cutting costs.

Renovating existing infrastructure, researching new methods and technologies and modernizing the sector are essential to achieving these goals.

One of the most praised measures is creating an interprofessional organization for the olive oil sector.

Like successful models in countries like Spain, this body is seen as vital for uniting stakeholders and pursuing common objectives.

According to La Pietra, the interprofessional organization will “operate ‘erga omnes,’ requesting contributions from all parts of the supply chain based on marketed product volumes, to establish a fund for promoting extra virgin olive oil.”

“We must agree on action plans at the table and within the interprofessional organization. Otherwise, as has happened in the past, initiatives risk remaining only on paper,” he added.

Anna Cane, president of the olive oil group within the Italian Association of the Edible Oil Industry (Assitol), welcomed the plan.

“We all need to hit these targets. If we want to be competitive again, higher production volumes at reasonable costs are essential,” Cane remarked, emphasizing the crucial role of innovation.

Production may be struggling, but extra virgin olive oil remains highly popular across Italy.

According to data from the Nomisma/Il Sole 24 Ore Observatory, 89 percent of Italians consider extra virgin olive oil superior to other fats. Seventy-nine percent believe it is healthier than alternatives.

Thirty-seven percent of a national sample of 1,000 people said they would like restaurants to offer a selection of olive oils, as is common with wine.

The survey also revealed a strong interest in learning about extra virgin olive oil: 40 percent are interested in tastings and sensory classes, and about 30 percent seek olive oils in specialized stores, including online shops.

Interestingly, 54 percent of buyers choose olive oils based on geographic origin, with a growing preference for products with a Protected Designation of Origin or Protected Geographical Indication certification. These certifications guarantee production in specific areas under strict protocols.

Given their success, the national plan may include a new certification. Proponents say it would enhance recognition of top-quality extra virgin olive oil.

This new national quality system, labeled SQN-OAQ, will also highlight sustainability.

While 96 percent of Italians see extra virgin olive oil as a national treasure, only 20 percent know that most olive oil production follows circular economy principles.

Nomisma analysts suggest that increasing this awareness could lead 81 percent of consumers to buy more extra virgin olive oil.

The survey also found that about one-third of Italians fully understand the unique characteristics that make extra virgin olive oil special, such as its phenolic profile.

“We are not surprised that only 37 percent know more about extra virgin olive oil’s health benefits,” Cane said.

“The National Olive Plan is the perfect platform to launch a broad communication campaign,” she added, pointing to the need for food education to begin in elementary schools.

In addition to the plan, several initiatives are underway to support the sector.

La Pietra confirmed to OlivoNews that about €80 million will soon be allocated to the olive oil mills excluded from the last round of funding due to insufficient resources.

New resolutions by the Italian parliament recognize the critical role of olive oil millers.

According to Elia Pellegrino, president of the Italian Olive Oil Millers Association (Aifo), these resolutions acknowledge that millers “play an essential role in ensuring the best quality of Italian extra virgin olive oil.”

The resolutions also address updating the 1996 law governing the disposal of vegetation water produced during processing. Advances in science and technology have opened up new ways to manage and reuse these byproducts.

“We also appreciate the government’s commitment to promoting, at the European level, an amendment to the Common Market Organization (CMO) for olive oil, following the successful model of the wine CMO,” Pellegrino wrote in a note sent to Olive Oil Times.

“The creation of stable and permanent resources for investment and promotion is essential to strengthen Made in Italy and counter growing competition,” he added.

The plan’s key provisions include supporting the recovery of Apulian olive groves devastated by Xylella fastidiosa over the past decade. Southern Puglia remains Italy’s most important olive oil-producing region.

One measure includes support for developing 5,000 new hectares of Xylella-resistant olive groves.

Beyond Puglia, much remains to be done in a country where diverse microclimates and soil conditions create unique farming landscapes.

“Olive farming in Italy is highly diverse. Some regions have intensive orchards, while others maintain traditional ones,” Stefano Caroli, president of the Apulian Olive Oil Millers Association (Afp), told Olive Oil Times.

“In hilly or mountainous areas, olive orchards are part of the local heritage. When neglected, they neither produce olives nor contribute to environmental health as they could,” he added.

“We need to assign the right value to olive oil, meaning prices must sustain olive growing,” Caroli said, emphasizing the need for new commercial policies based on origin and production practices.

La Pietra estimates that 500,000 hectares of olive groves are currently abandoned across Italy.

“We need to identify which can be brought back into production and which require special protection for their role in the landscape,” he said.

The sector’s associations must submit their proposals to the Ministry of Agriculture by September for the final discussion of the plan.

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The five-day course covering olive oil sensory analysis, production best practices, health benefits, nutrition, culinary applications and quality assurance will make its European debut in September at the Jamfabriek in ‘s‑Hertogenbosch, about 80 kilometers south of Amsterdam.

Curtis Cord, the founding CEO of Olive Oil Times and the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, said the Olive Oil Academy team “embodies our program’s mission to empower a generation of olive oil educators.”

“Collaboration is key to advancing olive oil education on a global scale,” said Christianne Noordermeer Van Loo, the Olive Oil Academy’s executive director and a 2023 alum of the Olive Oil Times Sommelier Program.

“By joining forces with Olive Oil Times, we can combine the best resources, expertise and teaching methods to ensure that students receive top-tier training in olive oil evaluation and appreciation,” she added.

“We integrate the latest scientific discoveries and market trends to ensure the program perfectly aligns with the needs of professionals and enthusiasts,” said van Grinsven-Padberg, who completed the Olive Oil Times program in 2017 and now serves as an International Olive Council panel leader at the Olive Oil Institute.

Noordermeer Van Loo and van Grinsven-Padberg touted the Jamfabriek and ‘s‑Hertogenbosch as an ideal location for the program.

The Jamfabriek, a former jam factory, has been transformed into an event space with facilities tailored for food preparation and demonstrations.

“Known for its rich history and vibrant culinary scene, ‘s‑Hertogenbosch provides an inspiring backdrop for the sommelier course,” Noordermeer Van Loo and van Grinsven-Padberg said. “Participants can immerse themselves in the city’s cultural heritage while deepening their appreciation for olive oil.”

The city of 161,000 people, founded in 1185, is well connected by train and bus. Four major airports—Amsterdam, Brussels, Eindhoven and Rotterdam—are within an hour, making it accessible for attendees traveling from anywhere.

The Sommelier Certificate Program, first held in New York City in 2016, with later editions in London and San Francisco, boasts nearly 500 Olive Oil Times Certified Sommeliers working in every facet of the olive oil world.

From researchers and award-winning producers to importers, entrepreneurs and curious consumers, Sommelier Certificate Program alumni from all walks of life have praised the course.

“I truly loved every single moment of the course. This week was honestly mindblowing. Teachers are all fantastic, panels were great and complex but also entertaining,” said Emese Tombor after completing the program in London.

Award-winning producer Mehmet Taki attended the program in London in 2023 and planned to apply some of the new farming and milling techniques he learned.

“It is a very well-balanced program, not only limited to the tasting of the olive oil but also providing solid information on every aspect from farming to storage, new trends and practices,” he said.

Over the years, many alumni have said they came to the course to learn how to recognize high-quality and defective ones to advise customers and clients.

“We wanted to increase our knowledge to pass along to our chefs, retailers and distributors as well as expose our palates to oils outside of our Spanish competencies,” said Karrie Kimble, an importer at Philosophy Foods who attended in New York in 2019.

“The program is mind-blowing; I had thought that it was too expensive. I believe it should cost more,” said Herman Pobrati, who also recently attended the London course. “I’ve learned so much and my perception of the extra virgin olive oil world has changed for the better. Excellent.”

“Revelation after revelation, superstar lineup, the best it could have been. A world-class training and experience,” said a new Sommelier, Jacqueline Conibeer.

Van Grinsven-Padberg said the collaboration with Olive Oil Times would set a benchmark in olive oil education in Europe, going beyond the purview of traditional training courses.

“Whether you are a producer, chef, buyer or an enthusiastic connoisseur, you’ll gain the tools to evaluate, appreciate and advocate for high-quality extra virgin olive oil,” she said.

Registration for the September 22–25 course is already open.

Over five days, participants examined olive oil sensory analysis, farming and production best practices, health benefits, nutrition, culinary applications and quality assurance.

Leading the rigorous program were renowned experts from six countries. The group analyzed over a hundred olive oil samples from every producing region.

Among the attendees was Chasity Pritchett from the United States-based retailer Emblem Olive Oil, which focuses on selling domestically-made extra virgin olive oil.

“This course taught me so much and gave me incredible insight into the production process of olive oil,” she said. “It opened my eyes to a whole new world of tastes and complexities from different cultivars.”

Pritchett plans to use what she has learned in the course to facilitate access to educational material and research for underserved communities, such as African Americans and Native Americans.

“This mission is deeply personal, and the work continues as I strive to educate and raise awareness across the nation about the health benefits of olive oil,” she said. “Being surrounded by people who were just as passionate and enthusiastic about olive oil as I am was truly inspiring.”

Thelka Galazoudi, the founder of London-based Back2Roots, also left the Sommelier Certification Course feeling inspired.

Galazoudi, who imports and distributes Greek organic extra virgin olive oils and other products, plans to use what he learned in the course to educate curious consumers at his tasting events.

“The olive oil sommelier course is a natural progression in my journey to deepen my knowledge and expertise,” she said. “It brought me together with like-minded, passionate individuals who share a deep love and respect for olive oil.”

Stefano Chessa of Oliveto Imports joined the course to further his initiative to market Mediterranean extra virgin olive oils in London.

“I am working on a project to improve the U.K. distribution network for Domenico Manca,” he said. “Their products are available through a specialized distributor to the hotel and restaurant sector, but there is a complete absence of their presence in the specialized retail market.”

Chessa said he thoroughly enjoyed the course, citing the “refreshing” approach to how the course teaches about the world of extra virgin olive oil.

“All the instructors were pleasant and professional but incredibly knowledgeable,” he said. “The event was exceptionally well-organized. I now feel much more confident in my understanding of the extra virgin olive oil industry. I am certain this will enhance my interactions with current and future customers.”

Along with retailers and importers, olive oil producers attended the course to learn the latest industry trends and the wider olive oil sector.

“I know the product now,” said Jorge Miranda, who recently joined the award-winning Spanish producer Casas de Hualdo to manage exports.

The pursuit of quality brought another Spanish olive oil producer, Inigo Garel-Jones Garrigues, to London. “I am a producer looking to improve the quality of the fruit and oils that I produce and that of our cooperative at large, he said.”

“The course was a real eye-opener for me. Given that I had been exposed to one country [Spain] and region, it gave me a broader view of the sector and production,” Garel-Jones Garrigues added. “Most importantly, of course, I now have a far more in-depth knowledge of extra virgin olive oil and the capacity to discern a genuine quality product.”

Even experienced producers found value in the course, which provided the latest science and innovations in farming, harvesting and milling to complement their decades of experience working in the field.

“I’ve been living and making olive oil in Tuscany for 20 years,” said Elizabeth Ward-Booth. “Many things pertaining to olive oil production have changed over these years. Now, moving to a new area within Tuscany with a reputation for excellent olive oil production, I aim to use my experience and new knowledge to produce the best quality olive oil.”

Ward-Booth said the course deepened her understanding and appreciation of extra virgin olive oils outside Italy.

“I believe the wide knowledge gained regarding olive oil, particularly the importance of attention to detail in harvesting, milling and storage, will be invaluable in producing a fine quality olive oil,” she said.

Along with the course’s content, participants also took the opportunity to interact with the eclectic mix of instructors and peers.

“The course also provided networking opportunities, allowing me to connect with growers and buyers from around the world,” said Hedzer Roodenburg Vermaat of the Olive Oil Club.

Roodenburg Vermaat currently sources award-winning Tunisian olive oils with plans to extend his selection to other countries.

He said becoming a sommelier will help him better assess the quality of the olive oils he imports and improve how he guides individuals and corporate clients in his olive oil marketing events.

“The course has been instrumental in helping me achieve my goals by enhancing my credibility as an olive oil professional, sharpening my ability to assess olive oils, and expanding my industry network—all of which will contribute to growing the Olive Oil Club,” he added.

Shannon Hurd, who runs the U.S.-based Cesena Family Imports, found the course to be “thorough and applicable. Speakers were knowledgeable and engaging, offering insights and clarifications on topics that were overloaded with information.”

“I wanted to acquire knowledge to ensure that each bottle we select reflects our commitment to excellence and authenticity,” Hurd added. “Knowledge gained as a sommelier enhances my ability to educate consumers of the benefits extra virgin olive oil offers.”

While professionals mainly attended the course, curious consumers also took part to expand their olive oil knowledge.

“I have no connection with the olive oil trade – just a passion for great food and cooking and a desire to retire to Puglia,” said Andrew Waters.

“I started the course knowing of extra virgin olive oil but very little about it,” he added. “The breadth of the course and the amount I learned was really impressive.”

Enrollment for the May Sommelier Certificate Program in New York City is already open.

In the annual survey sent to 4,208 producers in 30 countries, farmers and millers rated the 2024/25 crop year as above-average overall. However, the impacts of climate change, volatile market prices, consumer confusion and labor challenges remained critical concerns.

Still, producers rated the current harvest 67 out of 100, a substantial improvement from last year’s rating of 51 and significantly above the average of the previous six years.

To emphasize this point, nearly 62 percent of respondents said this year’s harvest was better than last year’s, with farmers and millers rating quantity as 62, the highest rating since 2019, and quality as 82, the highest since 2021.

The 2024 OOT Harvest Score

“After two difficult years, we are incredibly thankful for a successful harvest,” said Lucia Gamez of Tropicual in Jaén, Spain. “This season brought challenges – untimely rain threatened and disrupted our plans.”

“Yet, we were fortunate,” she added. “Monitoring conditions daily, the weather granted us a small window to harvest, ensuring our early harvest at the olive’s maturity point we sought.

The 2024 Quality Score

Other producers said this year’s harvest was their best yet and are optimistic about the prospects for the next one.

“We were very pleased with the 2024 crop here in Georgia, United States,” said Ciriaco Chavez of Fresh Press Farms. “We began harvest in early September and finished in early October. This year’s crop was the best we have ever had and likely represents the largest crop ever in Georgia, and the trees are set up well for a good 2025 crop.”

Better than last year

Data from the United States Department of Agriculture (the International Olive Council has not published its official harvest forecast yet) indicate that global olive oil production is anticipated to rise to 3.1 million metric tons in 2024/25.

Despite achieving the highest yields since 2021/22, producers remain wary of the usual concerns compounded by the wide-ranging impacts of global conflicts and changing geopolitical realities.

Climate concerns remain top of mind

Once again, climate change tops the list of challenges producers face, with 58 percent calling it one of their most significant concerns.

One of the hallmarks of climate change has been the increase of extreme weather.

Across the Mediterranean basin, producers said the sudden shift from a hot and dry summer to a wet and temperate autumn impeded olive collection and, in some cases, resulted in lower oil accumulation in the olives.

Producers’ top concerns

“We are experiencing an exceptional harvest in regards to our quality and volume of fruit, but we are noticing a dramatic drop in our yields compared to previous years,” said Diamantis Pierrakos of Greek producer Laconiko.

“The heavy drought has taken a toll on the oil development in our fruit,” he added. “Although we have recently received much needed rain, it should have come much sooner.”

Overall, 53 percent of respondents said their harvests were affected by excessive heat, while 43 percent said the same of drought.

“We had plenty of olives, but they were very small in size due to drought, lowering yields and somewhat affecting the quality,” said Mehmet Taki of Bata Tartim Farm in Turkey.

The 2024 Yield Score

In general, 35 percent of farmers and millers said poor weather impacted their ability to produce olive oil, while 27 percent cited excessive rain as an issue.

“The 2024 harvest was seriously affected by excessive spring rains in 2023,” said Fernando Rotondo of Brazil-based Olivopampa. “The new fruit set (2024/25) is also affected by spring rains and a cloud of Amazon [wildfire] ashes in the environment that impeded pollination.”

Labor shortages continue to impact the harvest

While producers said excessive heat, drought, poor weather and excessive rain were the four factors most impacting their harvests this year, labor shortages were not far behind.

One-quarter of survey respondents said the lack of workers during the harvest directly impacted their operations, while 35 percent cited labor difficulties among their primary concerns.

“As my trees mature, I am getting larger and larger harvests, but I am very concerned about labor shortages in California,” said Beth McCown of Central Coast Olive Oil Company.

“We need an immigrant labor program that allows workers from other countries to enter the state and return home after completing the agricultural cycle,” she added.

Top challenges

Other producers identified labor shortages as a two-pronged problem. In addition to struggling to find enough people to pick the olives and transport them to the mill quickly, supply and demand dynamics meant producers had to pay higher wages, raising production costs.

“I am at a loss to find enough buyers this year to cover my escalating production costs,” said Lauren Clancy of Villa le Masse di San Leolino in Italy. “When we started producing oil in 2016, we paid €12 per hour for the harvest. Now we pay €20 per hour, yet the wholesale prices have not changed.”

Market prices continue to concern producers

After hitting record highs in January 2024, olive oil prices at origin are expected to fall below €5 per liter at the start of 2025.

This volatility and its impact on consumers have resulted in market prices being among the most significant concerns for 39 percent of producers, second only to climate change.

Falling prices at origin have led some producers to worry that they may be unable to cover their increasing costs.

“Our main concern is the market and pricing,” said Taki of Bata Tarim Farm. “Prices are falling like a stone discarding the increase in costs. We hope the consumption growth will come back with lower prices.”

Other producers worry that two years of unprecedentedly high olive oil prices have changed consumers’ attitudes entirely.

“In a time of economic difficulty, the high price of olive oil makes it a commodity in the discretionary spend category,” said Andrew Lilly of Juno Olives in New Zealand.

“With a poor harvest and ever-increasing costs of fertilizer, fuel, freight, etc., the cost of olive oil may price us out of the market,” he added. “As an industry, we have low returns, and as a result, olive trees are being pulled out in favor of other crops.”

Anticipated ease of selling this year’s output

Despite concerns about prices, producers were highly confident that selling this year’s production would be straightforward, rating it 72 (with zero being very difficult to sell and 100 being very easy).

Lack of consumer knowledge hurting producers

After climate change and market prices, 38 percent of producers listed consumer confusion as one of their most significant challenges.

From confusing terminology and lack of awareness about olive oil health benefits and organoleptic qualities to rampant disinformation, farmers and millers worry that olive oil education is still not breaking through at a large scale.

“Consumer education is critical to the success of the overall industry,” said Paul Durant of Oregon-based Durant Olive Mill. “Not only on the obvious, such as how to use olive oil, health benefits and how it enhances a culinary experience, but also how it is crafted, where the olives are sourced from, what the chain of custody looks like for milling operations.”

Many small-scale and traditional producers said they believe consumer ignorance about organic and high-quality extra virgin olive oil production is directly related to unwillingness to pay higher prices.

“There is great effort and success in producing high-quality olive oil, but the average consumer considers olive oil a commodity and is unwilling to pay the actual value of hand-picked, cold-pressed, small-producer products,” said Zeynep Belger of Turkey-based Zayto.

Other producers emphasized the common refrain that olive oil must follow in the footsteps of wine to maintain profitability and continue flourishing.

“Olive oil, especially when it is extra virgin or organic, is not well-known worldwide,” said Eduardo from Il Casellino in Italy. “Campaigns should be done to explain how important olive oil is for our health and how engaging and expensive it is to produce olive oil for the farmer, especially if it is organic.”

“The price must reflect all this. People are ready to spend €100 for a bottle of wine, which may last only one day and not €20 for a bottle of oil, which does a lot for our health,” he added.

Tariffs and conflict emerge as new worries in 2024

While climate, prices and consumer knowledge are perennial concerns for producers, the increasing geopolitical uncertainty of 2024 has brought new challenges for farmers and millers.

Eleven percent of respondents cited tariffs as among their most significant concerns, heightened by the election of former President Donald J. Trump in the U.S., whose previous administration implemented two sets of tariffs targeting Spanish table olives and olive oil.

A further seven percent said turmoil and conflicts, which impact consumer sentiment and supply chains (not to mention the people living through them), were among their chief worries.

“The biggest threats to our work are the labor shortage and the possibility of an escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war that will disrupt the entire global market and logistic chains,” said Julio Alves of Quinta dos Olmais.

“Smuggling from conflict zones has tainted the reputation” of olive oil, added Belger, about the smuggling of olive oil from northwestern Syria through Turkey and into Europe to be blended and resold.

Producers remain confident about the future

While producers face a range of challenges that require bespoke and difficult solutions, they generally remain optimistic about the future.

On a scale of zero (no confidence) to 100 (very confident), producers rated their confidence as 72.

The 2024 Producer Confidence Score

“The industry is growing in California, and we are part of the surge with high-quality extra virgin olive oil,” said Richard Meisler of San Miguel Olive Farm. “Our farm tours have doubled. We are looking forward to next year’s harvest for good weather and quantity.”

Other producers said they feel hopeful as they notice young and energetic new people entering the sector.

“Separately, we noted the entrepreneurial drive by two young brothers in our local town who opened a new small production facility with state-of-the-art machinery, seeking to break from tradition and produce more high-quality extra virgin olive oil,” said Gamez of Tropicual. “The industry is, therefore, definitively growing and attracting young talent.

The course will convene January 20–24 at the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) in Bloomsbury, adjacent to the University of London campus.

The five-day course includes olive oil sensory assessment, production and milling, health and nutrition, culinary applications, farming best practices, quality assurance and advanced tasting techniques.

The program director, Curtis Cord, said students were in store for an unrivaled educational experience designed to foster a deep understanding of olive oil quality and appreciation. Cord developed the program with the late Dorothy Cann Hamilton, founder of the International Culinary Center.

While students of the sommelier program have included diverse professionals such as producers, marketers, importers, merchants, food buyers, quality-control managers, chefs, journalists, and lawyers, Cord said the program is designed for everyone concerned with olive oil quality. There are no prerequisites for the course.

Nearly 500 have completed the acclaimed program, joining a growing international network of experts and educators. Many have gone on to launch educational initiatives, author books, provide consulting services and develop programs to foster a greater understanding of matters relating to olive oil quality, culture and usage.

Enrollment for the London program is open on the Olive Oil Times Education Lab website.

Co-authors Simon Poole and Amy Riolo, who have a long history of writing about olive oil, said the time had come to publish an easy-to-understand and comprehensive resource on the topic.

Poole, a medical doctor who has extensively studied the health benefits of olive oil, and Riolo, an award-winning chef specializing in cooking with olive oil, previously collaborated on three For Dummies books about diabetes.

“Despite its playful and cheeky titles, For Dummies translates quite complicated scientific concepts in a very understandable and respectful way to a general readership,” Poole said.

He and Riolo believe the book is a suitable messenger at a time when influencers and online commentators are discussing the olive oil world and health benefits with their audiences, sometimes spreading misinformation.

“It was really important to give a general audience a broad perspective on some of the detailed science and also to provide them with some wonderful recipes,” Poole said.

“We wanted to write that one book that could be a resource for everybody,” Riolo added.

The co-authors credited Leandro Ravetti, the head of the Australia-based Modern Olives technical team and co-chief executive of Cobram Estate, for his role as the book’s technical editor.

“He is so widely respected in the olive oil world,” Poole said. “We have been very fortunate to have his input and that of the other experts at the Olive Wellness Institute.”

Olive Oil for Dummies covers similar ground to an introductory olive oil course in 288 pages. It includes information about olive oil grades, different production methods, history and lore, health benefits, common myths, tips for buying and storing olive oil, and 40 recipes.

Poole and Riolo emphasized that the book will provide plenty of practical advice for consumers who may know little, if anything, about olive oil.

“We have a whole chapter on the labels, how to read them and what people should look for,” Riolo said.

For example, the chapter explains the relevance of harvest dates and why they are more informative than expiration or best-before dates.

The authors also address the different types of quality certificates, including geographical indications and those administered by trade groups.

The chapter further discusses what organic olive oil means and defines common but confusing prefixes, such as ‘light’ and ‘first cold pressed,’ explaining their lack of relevance compared to ‘extra virgin,’ and ‘virgin.’

Another chapter explains how different transport and storage conditions impact olive oil quality over time, advising consumers to store it in a cool, dark place.

Poole and Riolo also spent considerable time dispelling common myths about olive oil in multiple sections of the book so readers would not be able to miss them.

Among the main ones is that olive oil cannot be used for frying. “That’s the big one: you can’t fry with olive oil or cook with olive oil; it can only be used raw,” said Riolo, pointing out that olive oil is safe to fry up to 410 ºF (210 ºC). “We don’t need to fry at temperatures above about 385 ºF (196 ºC),” she added.

The authors clarified this point in a section on dispelling myths and a section about cooking. “We were worried that if we just put it in one place, people would miss it,” Riolo said.

Another myth the authors work to dispel is that following the Mediterranean diet is expensive.

“It’s quite nice to illustrate that, for example, that a good quality extra virgin olive oil is often a similar amount to what people spend on a bottle of wine they might consume in an evening,” Poole said.

“But to get the recommended amount of extra virgin olive oil a day to achieve the Mediterranean diet, it costs less than a couple of cups of coffee from your favorite coffee house a week,” he added.

While Poole and Riolo dedicate most of the book to informing curious consumers, no book about olive oil is complete without a cooking section.

“All of the recipes use olive oils from all of the continents,” Poole said. “We use individual oils and briefly describe them. Of course, we say that you can use other olive oil. Still, we like highlighting and citing examples of great quality extra virgin olive oils from various places worldwide and acknowledge their producers.”

Poole and Riolo discuss the different olive varieties in the context of cooking, highlighting the range of cultivars grown across the olive oil world and their distinctive organoleptic qualities.

“We try to get the heavy hitters from all countries that produce olive oil,” Riolo said. “This shows the impact that olive oil has in the world and not just here where it originated.”

Ultimately, Poole and Riolo hope that Olive Oil for Dummies, which goes on sale in October and is already available for pre-order, will be an accessible entry point for anyone interested in olive oil.

“We are introducing our readers to how to taste at home; how to become familiar with the different tastes of extra virgin olive oil and recognize an oil that’s lampante from one that tastes good,” Poole concluded.

The University of California-Davis Olive Center is hosting the conference, which will feature research presentations, panel discussions, question and answer sessions and case studies on a wide range of topics relevant to olive farming, milling and marketing.

“On the agricultural side, we’ll be discussing topics like water use, climate change and carbon sequestration,” said Javier Fernandez-Salvador, the Olive Center’s executive director. “We’ll also cover fertilizer optimization, pesticide reduction, habitat conservation, hedgerow management, soil health and regenerative agriculture.”

“We also want to examine what’s happening on the milling side – specifically [how pomace] is dried and used as compost or processed further to extract beneficial compounds,” he added.

The conference will conclude with a tasting session and cooking demonstration at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa campus. “It wouldn’t be a good conference if we don’t include the food side of it,” Fernandez-Salvador said.

The organizers envision the conference as a forum to present the latest sustainability research and demonstrate practical ways for farmers and millers to improve sustainability. They also hope to use the event to capture media and consumer attention about olive oil’s sustainability credentials.

To that end, the morning of the third day will be dedicated to case studies, including how sustainability can add value to products in the market.

“We have so many people that are coming to learn how to market their products better because sometimes they don’t know how to translate that message from the grower,” Fernandez-Salvador said. “How do they make that message of the grower’s sustainability practices clear to the consumer.”

Case studies will also cover specific ways to implement sustainable practices in traditionally and intensively planted olive groves and preserve centenarian and millenary olive trees.

“Half of the presenters are scientists, and half are farmers, producers and people involved in the trade, so there’s a little bit of everything,” Fernandez-Salvador said. “We didn’t want it to be a conference that focused exclusively on farming, exclusively on irrigation or exclusively on milling. It has to include every aspect and touch on all sides of sustainability.”

While California-based farmers, millers and researchers will be a significant presence, Fernandez-Salvador said the Olive Center had partnered with the University of Évora in Portugal, the University of Jaén in Spain and the International Olive Council to bring experts from around the olive oil world to share their perspectives.

Along with presenters, he added that attendees would be attending from around the world as well, including long-established olive-growing countries in Europe, the Middle East, Oceania and North and South America, along with new frontiers of olive production, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Fernandez-Salvador believes this will be the first of many sustainability conferences. “We hope that other universities will take on the challenge and continue to do international sustainability conferences in the future,” he said. “There’s interest from other universities that are partners now to continue this in the future.”

Registration for the International Olive Sustainability Conference closes on August 18th.

Indeed, 49 percent of respondents to the 2023 Olive Oil Times Harvest Survey cited a lack of consumer knowledge as one of their top concerns.

To that end, three olive oil professionals have launched a Spanish-language podcast to discuss the basics of olive oil with a diverse range of guests and create new enthusiasts.

Pablo Voitzuk, an olive oil educator, consultant and NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition judge, came up with the idea for A la Sombra del Olivo (In the Shade of the Olive Tree) in 2023 and tapped Mercedes Uceda and Maripaz Aguilera as his co-hosts.

“Pablo told me at Christmas that he wanted to do a podcast,” said Aguilera, a technical specialist in olive oil at the Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA), panel leader and consultant.

“Because of our work, we often stay at a technical level. We always address the sector, and this podcast is a way of disseminating the culture of olive oil to a large audience,” she added.

Uceda, a certified taster whose family-owned engineering consultancy is dedicated to olive mill construction and design, is a frequent podcast listener and was excited to join the project. She believes podcasts are an excellent way to entertain and inform younger audiences.

According to Spotify, an audio streaming platform, more than half of Spaniards listen to podcasts, with one-third listening habitually. Separate research from iVoox Observatory, which collects data about Spanish-language podcasts, found that 40 percent of listeners are between 18 and 44.

“The world of podcasts, which I have gotten hooked on, seems like a very good way to disseminate any topic,” Uceda said.

“The virgin olive oil sector needs a lot of dissemination and people to connect with it, especially young people,” she added. “Podcasts are a form of sharing knowledge or connecting with different topics that young people use, so it seemed like a very good idea.”

Uceda believes that the long-form conversational format of podcasts, which is among the most popular genres, is ideally suited for discussing olive oil, allowing the hosts and their guests to examine the details and nuances of each subject rather than resorting the soundbites typical of cable news and traditional radio programs.

“We cover a lot, but the podcast is made for non-professionals,” Uceda said. “It has a fairly transferable vocabulary so that everyone can understand it. We try to avoid using technical words.”

Aguilera agreed that the podcast is meant to be accessible to the general public but added that olive oil professionals would also find it interesting. Aguilera has spent her entire professional life studying olive oil but still learned many intriguing facts while making the podcast.

“The objective is to reach as many people as possible,” she said. “I think we have tried to get all kinds of people involved, especially people who want to learn.”

The three hosts have recorded six episodes of the podcast, which are divided thematically. The first is an introduction where the hosts discuss their vision for the podcast and how they hope listeners will start to think about olive oil.

The rest of the podcast will cover health, gastronomy, culture, olive varieties and marketing. Each episode, which is about an hour long, begins with a discussion among the three hosts and is followed by an interview with an expert in each field.

“We looked for guests from all over the world, both from Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, so the podcast would also be broader,” Uceda said. “We thought that in this way, people in Spain would listen to people and opinions from the rest of the world, especially in terms of sales in South America, which was very interesting.”

“There are people from Chile, Argentina, the United States and Italy,” Aguilera added. “That is to say, we didn’t want it to be just our vision, but also a vision that draws from different parts of the world.”

The third episode features guest interviews with Alicia Moya and Carola Dümmer, co-authors of Chile’s first olive oil guidebook, to discuss retail and culture.

Filippo Falugiani, the founding president of the International Association of Olive Oil Restaurants, and Dani Garcia Peinado, a chef who specializes in olive oil and cooks for the Royal Spanish Football Federation, appear in the fourth episode to discuss restaurants’ role as ambassadors of olive oil to a broader audience.

“I liked the episode with Filipo and Dani because it opened up about the Horeca and restaurant channels,” Uceda said. “We always say that penetrating the restaurant channel is the most difficult thing in the world of virgin olive oil, and lately, we have been struggling. Chefs and restaurateurs are also the scribes of our product.”

Other guests include Nico and Rafael Alonso Barrau of award-winning producer Oro del Desierto, Carmen Nieto of Paraiso Virgen Extra, a specialty retailer, and Juan Pablo Castellano, a member of the Olive Chamber of Commerce of San Juan, Argentina, among others.

The first episodes of A la Sombra del Olivo are already streaming on Spotify, and video versions are available on YouTube.

• Reason Why
• iVoox

Thirty-seven olive oil producers, retailers, enthusiasts and entrepreneurs are setting out to change that after completing the week-long Olive Oil Times Education Lab Sommelier Certification Program in Manhattan.

Attendees traveled from around the world for the five-day course, which covered olive oil sensory assessment, production best practices, health and nutrition, culinary applications and quality assurance.

Among them was Joe Maruca, the co-owner of TRE Olive. “I have wanted to enroll for the last few years,” he said. “My family has been in the olive oil industry for four generations, and I wanted to increase my knowledge and advance the family business.”

The Massachusetts-based company imports extra virgin olive oil from its dedicated olive groves in Calabria. Even after winning the industry’s most coveted quality award at the 2024 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, Maruca said there is always more to learn.

“I loved the course. It exceeded my expectations and has motivated me to continue learning,” he said. “If you’re not learning, you’re not growing.”

Maruca plans to use what he learned about the science behind olive oil’s health benefits to enlighten customers and his team. “Education is the biggest takeaway, and I hope to continue learning going forward,” he said.

Rafael Buchabqui, the owner of Brazil-based Azeite Torrinhas, was another producer keen to expand his knowledge and network with like-minded people in New York.

“I wanted to explore this matter [the olive oil world] further to learn more about my product, discuss with other specialized olive oil sommeliers ways to improve our oils and educate the people around me,” he said.

Buchabqui said working to identify the vast range of aromas and flavors in nearly one hundred olive oil samples from 14 countries analyzed during the five-day course was interesting and challenging.

“[With this knowledge,] I will be more confident discussing our oils with our staff and in a better position to educate people around me,” he said.

Other producers joined the course to gain a global perspective on the olive oil sector.

“I decided to take the course to learn about the perspectives and opinions on olive oil from people in the U.S. and the Southern Hemisphere and to gain insight into the situation in the U.S.,” said Bastian Jordan, the owner of Jordan Olivenöl. “I aimed to use this information for my personal development in the olive oil industry and to make valuable contacts.”

Jordan, who produces olive oil on the Greek island of Lesvos and imports it to Düsseldorf in western Germany, has been involved in the olive oil business for all of his professional life. He said he appreciated the opportunity to meet new people and sharpen his sensory analysis skills.

“I will bring the insights back to the German Olive Oil Panel, where I am a member, to discuss the similarities and differences in sensory evaluations,” he said.

Along with farmers and millers, olive oil sales professionals traveled to New York’s Flatiron district to learn more about extra virgin olive oil and its key selling points – flavor and health.

“I fell in love with extra virgin olive oil while working in my previous role selling O‑Med, and now I’m fortunate enough to represent [the Spanish brand] Castillo de Canena on the East Coast,” said Shea Vinson. “I enrolled in the course to enhance my knowledge of extra virgin olive oil so that I could better communicate its value to my distributor, retail customers and end consumers.”

Vinson, who lives in New York City, said the course was comprehensive, with engaging presenters and essential information in every session.

“The sensory assessment portion was my favorite, although the food pairing section was a close second,” she said.

Vinson plans to use her mastery to improve sales communication and pass the information on to customers and the general public.

“I’d love to gain enough experience to serve on a tasting panel and ideally use what I’ve learned to curate my own retail selection,” she said.

Mark Lemmens, the founder of Olicious, traveled to New York from the Netherlands expecting to expand his tasting horizons and bring a new breadth of knowledge to his customers in the restaurant and retail industries.

“I’ve been in olive oil for four years, and I’m on a mission to educate consumers, retailers and professionals about the quality and health benefits of olive oil,” he said. “I also expected to learn more about olive varieties through the extensive tasting opportunities.”

Lemmens did not leave disappointed, praising the course structure and the diverse range of professionals who instructed each section.

“It was an awesome experience to be with so many people who share the same passion,” he added. “In particular, I highly appreciated the tasting sessions as well as the more technical sessions about the olive oil production process. It helped me better describe positive and negative attributes during tasting.”

Lemmens said he would employ what he learned in the course to inform his clients and incorporate the knowledge into his masterclass courses.

“I can inform customers better about the health benefits and how defects can occur during production,” he said. “As an olive oil sommelier, I earn more trust from professionals in retail and HORECA.”

Carline Brandao Procell, owner of Bella Nonnas Olive Oil & Vinegar in Shreveport, Louisiana, attended the course to refresh her olive oil knowledge and prepare to lead some olive grove tours next year.

“I thought the course was extremely informative and cleared up some confusion on my end regarding the harvesting and processing aspects of the olive oil business,” she said. “I especially enjoyed learning more about the healthful aspects of olive oil, specifically the polyphenols.”

“That is one aspect that I am frequently asked about in my store,” Procell added. “I find my customers are increasingly trying to improve their health. I am fortunate to be a source for them, of not only healthful oils and balsamics but also pertinent information regarding their dietary choices.”

Procell enjoys her role as an olive oil specialist and can now strengthen her explanations as to why customers should choose high-quality extra virgin olive oils.

“A winery has scheduled me for a food, wine and olive oil pairing class,” she said. “One family has booked me to speak to them at their Sunday dinner and direct them on ordering their olive oils. Two cruise lines have asked me to lead tours in the Mediterranean for the 2025 harvest season.”

While many program attendees are seasoned olive oil professionals seeking to expand their knowledge, others came to indulge their passion for the product and inform personal projects.

“I am a formally trained architect with a multidisciplinary design practice, so professionally, I am well outside the industry,” said Abir Ali, who traveled to New York from Detroit.

“Personally, though, olive oil is a big part of my life,” she added. “My mother is Lebanese, and I was raised in a culture where olives and olive oil made daily appearances in everything from food to beauty to medicine.”

Ali, who grew up with her father’s olive oil-infused Pakistani cooking, said she enjoyed the class immensely. She specifically cited the diversity of her fellow students and the instructors.

“The tastings were my favorite,” Ali said. “Challenging and training my sense of smell and taste was such a treat and a welcomed break from screens and meetings.”

Ali plans to utilize what she learned in the course to curate her own tasting experience.

“My design work, outside of the olive oil industry, revolves around building literal and figurative tables for people to meet and exchange,” she said. “Now, with the knowledge I learned in New York – and much continued practice – I can bring people together through a crafted community experience that revolves around the beauty and power of olive oil.”

Enrollment is open for the next Olive Oil Sommelier Program in London, which will be held in January.

The five-day course includes olive oil sensory assessment, production and milling, health and nutrition, culinary applications, farming best practices, quality assurance and advanced tasting techniques.

The program director, Curtis Cord, said attendees were in store for an unrivaled educational experience designed to foster a deep understanding of olive oil quality and appreciation. Cord developed the program with the late Dorothy Cann Hamilton, founder of the International Culinary Center.

While those who have completed the sommelier program have included such diverse professionals as producers, marketers, importers, merchants, food buyers, quality-control managers, chefs, journalists and lawyers, Cord said the course is designed for everyone concerned with olive oil quality. There are no prerequisites for the course.

Nearly 400 have completed the acclaimed program, joining a growing international network of experts and educators. Many have launched their own educational initiatives, author books, provide consulting services and develop programs to foster a greater understanding of olive oil quality, culture and usage.

In the most recent edition of the program in London, olive oil professionals and enthusiasts completed a hands-on sensory analysis program, mastering the nuances of production and quality evaluation to elevate their careers and launch new initiatives.

Dave and Claudia Sadoff traveled to London from Sonoma County, California, as they were embarking on their journey as olive oil producers at Nomad Groves.

“The sommelier course offered us the opportunity to learn from and interact directly with world-class specialists, to explore the attributes and complexity of fine oils, and to guard against the missteps that can lead to defective oil,” they said.

“I will use the knowledge I got from the course to improve the experience and inspire more people to use extra virgin olive oil,” said Agelos Bougias, who manages a farm-to-table restaurant and organic farm. “I feel the duty to do my best so people will know more about olive oil production, and now I can, with higher efficiency, educate people through the tastings.”

Sabrina Rea, who flew from Toronto and works as an olive oil importer, said the course “provided me with a solid foundation, refining my existing knowledge and offering a structured framework to evaluate and select the finest olive oils.”

Registration is open for the New York program on the Education Lab website. Enrollment is limited to 45 participants.

According to Paul Lompech, the program’s head of communication, PASA established a network of resources, providing small farmers and millers access to the latest knowledge and best practices for growing and milling olives over the past five years.

The European Union-backed project, which received funding from French and German entities, also established a sector-specific laboratory, published research on endemic Algerian olive varieties and prepared market research to aid farmers and millers in developing brands.

“The PASA Program has significantly contributed to laying the foundations for a substantial development of the olive sector,” Lompech told Olive Oil Times.

He highlighted the establishment of Algeria’s first olive oil-specific accredited laboratory, run by the Technical Institute of Arboriculture, Fruit and Vines (ITAFV), as a watershed moment for the project and the olive sector.

“Talks are ongoing with the International Olive Council, as this laboratory is soon destined to be officially recognized by the IOC,” Lompech said.

“It is a big step for us,” he added. “For instance, producers now have a reliable place in Algeria for olive oil analysis. So they will no longer need to send samples abroad, such as to France, as they did before.”

The laboratory also hosts dedicated training sessions about olive oil analysis. “On top of that, a network of six demonstrative pilot sites was established, two for each of the three provinces involved,” Lompech said.

“These groves allow all interested parties to directly observe good agricultural practices in the field, such as pruning techniques, irrigation or other improvements to boost the health and productivity of their groves,” he explained.

At the instructional sites, trained experts offer step-by-step guides to growers interested in adopting a new approach to farming and olive milling, including sustainability and environmental aspects.

While olive growing is in the DNA of most families residing in the north of the country, a modern scientific approach was needed for the sector to develop further.

“A better and broader knowledge about the local olive heritage is key to the sector’s future,” Lompech said.

ITAFV, with direct support from PASA, has also published the official catalog of the 36 Algerian olive cultivars that have been recognized and registered. Nineteen more are in the process of being registered.

The institute listed agricultural and commercial characteristics for each cultivar, including all morphological, phenological, molecular and organoleptic traits.

“This goes along with several research initiatives conducted by PASA, from consumer studies to water and environmental research, marketing and packaging on the Algerian market,” Lompech said.

“We focused on research to provide a basic bibliographic base for people to understand the olive ecosystem as a whole,” he added.

Other research was directed towards improving the capacity of olive oil mills and agricultural practices such as irrigation and pruning.

Dozens of books and other informative materials were published, listing all the most relevant aspects of olive growing, from sustainable practices to the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil.

As part of the buildup of such knowledge, PASA produced an advisory support system aimed at farmers and other interested parties. “As of today, we have 60 olive expert advisors in the field trained by the PASA advisory support system,” Lompech said.

“These are professionals who can spread the culture of quality production along with the knowledge needed to achieve such quality,” he added. “They can also train others, further spreading a new modern approach.”

The program focused on Béjaïa, Bouïra, and Tizi Ouzou, the three wilayas (provinces) of the Soummam Valley, where the earliest evidence of olive growing dates back more than two millennia.

“As a whole, in 2023, they organized more than 400 training events in the area involving more than 3,000 people, and that is just the beginning,” Lompech said.

“People trained in these courses in the territory become vectors of new knowledge, so the impact [of such activities] could be exponential,” he added.

The goal is for this knowledge to filter down to the many small olive growers that populate the region. By coming together, farmers can access the investments needed to trigger a new, more modern way of producing olive oil and the income such an approach can provide.

The program financed dozens of innovative olive development projects presented by local producers.

“A few cooperatives were created thanks to the program, and we can expect more to see the light in the future,” Lompech said.

“That was also part of our market-oriented research, aimed at having all actors fully understand the national regulations related to olive oil production as well as the dynamics of the international market, the expectations of consumers, and so forth,” he added.

According to Lompech, many areas of the olive sector still need to grow, and much remains to be done.

“Think of the exports,” he said. “Nowadays, Algerian olive oil is mostly sold to international buyers in bulk, and they rebrand it and then sell it to other markets.”

“That means there is space for some strong Algerian brands to enter the international market,” Lombech added. “We now have a first leading exporter group as the whole ecosystem around the olive world moves to another level of production and culture.”

He predicted that about half of local olive oil production – which the IOC estimates will reach 93,000 tons in the 2023/24 crop year, in line with the five-year average – will use the tools and adopt the best practices provided by the program.

“We have big hopes in the next five or ten years for the new industry to grow stronger,” Lompech said. “Today’s dynamics on the international market represent an opportunity, and the olive oil sector is now growing quickly, as the price is still increasing and demand stays high.”

“I think the country is positioned to become a significant player on the international olive oil market, with its own brand and quality production,” Lompech concluded.

Students from diverse geographic and professional backgrounds gathered at Russell Square in the Bloomsbury district to learn more about olive oil. While many attendees sought to progress in an olive oil-related career, others aimed to learn more about a passionate hobby.

Over the week, participants learned about quality standards, production methods, sensory analysis, defects and positive attributes, chemistry, olive cultivars, health benefits, culinary applications and sustainability, among many other topics.

Sabrina Rea, who flew from Toronto and works as an olive oil importer in Canada and the United States, attended the course to deepen her understanding and better serve her clients.

“This course provided me with a solid foundation, refining my existing knowledge and offering a structured framework to evaluate and select the finest olive oils,” she told Olive Oil Times.

“I am deeply involved in the olive oil industry as an importer of extra virgin olive oil and related products,” Rea added. “My mission revolves around elevating the [usage] and appreciation of extra virgin olive oil in Canada and North America.”

Rea said she planned to explore different olive cultivars, producing countries and cultivation methods to identify new products for her clients.

“I envision leveraging these learnings to refine our product selection process, enhance customer education initiatives and ultimately elevate the quality of extra virgin olive oil offerings in our markets,” she said.

Along with importers, many of the attendees in London were new or aspiring olive oil producers there to learn more about the process and product to improve their craft. Eleni Florou is working to turn her family’s farm of 3,000 olive trees in Laconia, Greece, from a side business to a professional outfit.

“We have been producing extra virgin olive oil, mainly from the Koroneiki variety, since I can remember,” she told Olive Oil Times. “I must have been a toddler during my first harvest.”

“In the last few years, we have started bottling and distributing to family and friends,” Florou added. “I am very keen on taking over the business, rebranding the product and making all the necessary improvements so it can stand out in terms of quality. I intend to go through the process of our own olive oil-making tradition step by step from the orchard to the mill, comparing notes with what we have been taught as good practices.”

On the other side of the olive oil-producing world, Dave and Claudia Sadoff traveled from Sonoma County, California, as they were embarking on their journey as olive oil producers at Nomad Groves.

“We are new olive oil producers, taking over the stewardship of a beautiful, established olive grove and keen to learn as much as we can about what makes an exceptionally high-quality extra virgin olive oil,” the couple told Olive Oil Times.

“The sommelier course offered us the opportunity to learn from and interact directly with world-class specialists, to explore the attributes and complexity of fine oils, and to guard against the missteps that can lead to defective oil,” they added.

The Sadoffs produce a limited amount of a robust blend of Italian, Spanish, Greek, and French olive varieties and are expanding the grove.

“We are now better equipped to avoid problems that can produce defective oil, have a deeper appreciation for when we should seek expert guidance, and ought to be able to more accurately assess the quality of our oil and the means by which we can refine its taste through curated blending,” they said. “Also, during the course, we met a number of presenters and classmates with whom we hope to collaborate in one way or another.”

Along with planting more trees, the Sadoffs plan to start an olive tree nursery. “The property we acquired came with two large greenhouse structures,” they added.

While plenty of attendees were focused on production, others sought to learn more about extra virgin olive oil to serve as ambassadors to the culinary world.

Bill DeWitt, who owns a brewery and winery in Virginia, trekked from the Washington, D.C., area to learn how to highlight olive oils in his recently added kitchen.

“I have been a long-time wine enthusiast, and as my wife, Michelle, and I traveled the world on the wine journey, it became apparent that olive oil was also a big part of the meals we shared while wine tasting,” he told Olive Oil Times. “So, I set out to learn as much as possible about extra virgin olive oil as well.”

“Our goal is to become stewards of good olive oil and feature it within our menu,” he added. “Also, we will have food, wine and olive oil events featuring a certain country that fits the script, focusing on smaller production groves.”

DeWitt was not the only attendee seeking to emphasize the organoleptic qualities of extra virgin olive oil in hospitality.

Zack Manganas and Agelos Bougias, who manage a farm-to-table restaurant and organic farm together, journeyed from Crete to better understand organic extra virgin olive oil production and quality to improve the synergy of their businesses.

Manganas is responsible for the restaurant, which specializes in Cretan cuisine. Bougias manages Peskesi Organic Farm, which offers guided olive oil tastings and food pairings.

“We are passionate about environmentally friendly ways of farming, and our vision is to revive the authentic Cretan diet with so many health benefits,” Bougias told Olive Oil Times. “I will use the knowledge I got from the course to improve the experience and inspire more people to use extra virgin olive oil.”

Extra virgin olive oil is the linchpin of the Cretan diet. Manganas, who grew up in the family olive mill “helping and tasting,” said he needed to know more.

“Olive oil was, is and will always be in my life, as I am literally surrounded by it,” he told Olive Oil Times. “I feel the duty to do my best so people will know more about olive oil production, and now I can, with higher efficiency, educate people through the tastings.”

“Olive oil is the main product that the island of Crete produces, and we try to showcase the importance and quality of the product to every guest who pays us a visit,” Managas added.

While many attendees traveled internationally to explore olive oil with leading professionals, one aficionado commuted to the program each morning on the Tube, the local name for London’s metro.

“I have been absolutely passionate about olive oil all my life,” Vesna Cramer told Olive Oil Times.

In 2014, Cramer had her olive oil moment when she volunteered to harvest olives from trees in Croatia that would have otherwise gone unpicked. She bought ten hectares of land to plant 125 olive trees in Šibenik.

“I am working on my own further development linked to harvesting, milling, selecting and selling on a small scale to friends and family,” she said.

“I aim to focus more on tasting olive oil at every opportunity and to work more on improving my skills as a taster so I can help my friends and family choose good olive oils,” Cramer added. “I also aim to work on setting up a few tasting group activities here and in Croatia with my summer guests.”

Enrollment is open for the upcoming olive oil sommelier certification program in New York, which will run from May 20th to 24th.

“My journey with extra virgin olive oil began in Italy in 2014, sparking a passion that led to my becoming a sommelier through the Olive Oil Times Education Lab and the International Culinary Center,” Myers said. “This experience connected me with global extra virgin olive oil experts.”

Thereafter, she imported extra virgin olive oil from female-led producers, judged international competitions and became a respected field expert, focusing on supporting women in the industry.

When the Covid-19 pandemic shut down daily life in her hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2020, Myers used her spare time to think of how better to connect with the many women she had met across the olive oil world.

“This was a time when we were all stuck at home, and I built this platform [Women in Olive Oil] to promote communication for women in the sector, to work with each other and support each other,” she said.

The Women in Olive Oil [WiOO] platform has helped to reinforce a larger network of women in the sector, bringing together similar platforms, including the Arab Olive Oil Women’s Network, Pandolea, Donne dell’Olio and Women and Olives LATAM.

“The network now brings together around 3,000 women from 50 countries that represent a wide range of professions within the olive oil industry, from farmers, mill managers, researchers and chemists to retailers, importers, exporters, distributors, marketers, soap makers, artists, authors and chefs,” Myers said.

One of the goals of the network is to promote female-owned brands and companies in a sector that men had traditionally dominated.

While olive oil sector-specific data are hard to come by, women represent about 43 percent of the global agricultural workforce.

“For example, one of the women in our network, a retailer, intentionally buys and sells women-made olive oils only,” she added. “And more retailers are sourcing female-owned olive oils. It’s also a great network for marketing female-owned brands.”

Although the olive oil sector is still largely male-dominated, experts believe the work of female olive farmers is not always accounted for in official statistics.

According to Myers, women are instrumental in passing down the knowledge of the olive oil-making process to the next generation.

“Women tend to hold on to the culture and heritage and teach children the recipes and secrets, which then are passed down from generation to generation,” she said. “They are essentially the custodians of agro-wisdom.”

Myers has seen how women in France, Jordan, Portugal and Turkey preserve traditional olive farming and oil production techniques.

“Mothers teach their daughters to hand-pick olives,” she said. “While in Jordan, the Arab Olive Oil Women’s Network led school workshops on sustainable olive cultivation.”

“Emmanuel Dechelette presides over an olive oil competition, Olio Nuovo Days, judged by children,” Myers added. “She teaches them to discern high-quality extra virgin olive oil, instilling an appreciation for this craft. These moments show women’s crucial role in nurturing the next generation’s respect for olive oil tradition.”

In her efforts to promote the role of women in the olive oil sector, Myers has been working with the International Olive Council.

In 2022, she met executive director Abdellatif Ghedira to discuss opportunities for collaboration.

“Moving forward, entities like the IOC could collaborate with various industry groups to provide educational workshops and seminars on policy and women’s roles in the olive oil industry,” Myers said.

“Women in the sector could establish mentorship programs in partnership with professional networks, women’s business organizations and agricultural groups, aligning with the IOC’s initiatives for industry development,” she added.

In November, the role of women in the olive oil sector took center stage at the IOC’s World Olive Day celebration.

Myers said World Olive Day served as an opportunity for the wider network of associations to discuss these policies while underlining the importance of women in the sector.

“Women have always been deeply involved in managing the olive oil value chain,” Imene Trabelsi Trigui, the head of the IOC’s promotion department, told Olive Oil Times in a November 2023 interview. “Thanks to their knowledge and experience, they play a crucial role in developing this important field and significantly impact current and future generations.”

Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, Myers plans to organize more networking events, working with various organizations to create connections for women with industry leaders.

“Conducting awareness campaigns on the role of women in policy-making, partnering with non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups, leveraging the IOC’s global platform for broader impact is also important,” she said.

“We should also consider implementing leadership programs for women, involving academic institutions, and tapping into other organizations with aligned interests and other industry experts,” Myers added.

Part of this will require working within higher education and research institutes to study the role of women in the sector and guide promotional policies with data.

“Finally, we could look to offering scholarships and grants for women in partnership with educational foundations and philanthropic organizations,” she said. “[We could also] highlight success stories, collaborating with media networks and leveraging partnerships like those with the IOC for wider visibility.”

With WiOO set to turn four later this year, Myers hopes the organization and its many local counterparts will continue to gain support and amplify women’s voices.

“I hope for more support. For instance, having more women voiced in policymaking,” Myers concluded. “It is important to recognize the potential of women. So far, the collaboration and knowledge sharing in our network has created positive spillover effects into other industries, including health and beauty.”

In our annual survey, sent to 4,487 producers in 34 countries, respondents gave the 2023 harvest an overall rating of 51 out of 100, the lowest score since 2018.

Farmers and millers were most disappointed with their yield, rating it just 46 out of 100 – but also gave their judgment of the quality of their production the lowest score (72/100) since the survey began.

The despondency surrounding yields underlined the widely publicized drop in global olive oil production, which is expected to decline to 2.407 million tons in the 2023/24 crop year, the second-consecutive decrease and lowest total since 2013/14.

Farmers and millers listed climate change, lack of consumer knowledge and labor difficulties among their biggest concerns, which echoed the factors they cited as having most affected the harvest including higher production costs, excessive temperatures and drought.

Producers believe that olive oil sector stakeholders should focus on standards enforcement to reduce fraud, lobby governments for increased sector-specific support and global marketing campaigns to promote olive oil consumption.

Climate change remains the top concern for producers

Once again, the impacts of climate change remain the most significant challenge for producers, with slightly more than 63 percent of respondents calling it one of their greatest concerns.

“Climate change, especially drought, has really affected us this season,” said Mehmet Taki of Bata Tarim ve Gida Urunleri in western Turkey. “Our production has dropped by 65 percent.”

The impacts of climate change were particularly acute in the Mediterranean basin, responsible for about 95 percent of global olive oil production, with unprecedentedly hot and dry weather damaging groves at key moments of olive tree development in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East over the past two years.

After climate change, producers cited a lack of consumer knowledge about olive oil as one of their biggest challenges, with nearly 49 percent of respondents calling it one of their most significant headwinds.

“Consumers need to understand olive oil production better and recognize the excellence of certain products,” said Adriana Saldarriaga of Lazio-based Casale delle Mille Olive. “Otherwise, small producers will not survive.”

This point is especially true in young olive oil markets such as Brazil, where local producers said price is consumers’ number one purchasing criterion, with many shoppers unaware of the differences in quality from a ‘pure’ or ‘light’ olive oil compared to an extra virgin.

“It is very difficult to sell olive oil in Brazil as it is a country that places little value on quality extra virgin olive oil,” said Flavio Fernandes of Azeite Pedregais in Rio Grande do Sul.

Labor difficulties ranked third among producer concerns, with 40 percent of farmers and millers listing it among their biggest worries.

Traditional farmers consistently faced challenges in hiring enough workers to pick the fruit in time, compounded by higher wage demands.

“Harvesting has become incredibly expensive; they [contracted harvesters] walk away with half of our income,” said one producer in southern France.

“The labor shortage is our most challenging issue right now,” added Julio Alves of Quinta dos Olmais in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal.

While climate, consumer knowledge and labor difficulties were by far the most prominent concerns cited by producers, high market prices (25 percent), export challenges (23 percent), falling consumption (19 percent), market competition (15 percent) and tariffs (7 percent) were also troubling.

Rising costs and extreme weather hampered this year’s harvest

When asked about the events that most significantly impacted the 2023 harvest, producers pointed to production costs, weather extremes, pests and labor shortages.

Half of the respondents said high production costs spurred by inflation and the consequences of conflict in Europe and the Middle East impacted their harvest.

“Prices of fertilizers have skyrocketed during the last two years, thus hindering the amounts used compared to the production needs,” said Mohammed Bakkoury of Morocco-based Tierras de Marruecos.

According to the Spanish Association of Olive Municipalities (Aemo), the cost of producing one kilogram of olive oil has increased significantly since 2020, rising 64 percent when adjusted for inflation.

Authorities in Spain said phytosanitary product prices had increased by 70 percent since 2020. Energy prices rose by 40 percent over the same period.

Farmers and millers across the Mediterranean said higher interest rates have made servicing pre-existing loans and obtaining new ones especially challenging for small producers.

After rising input costs, the 2023 harvest was affected by excessive heat, drought and bad weather at pivotal moments, allowing the emergence of pests and hindering harvest activities.

Nearly 43 percent of producers said excessive heat had affected their harvest, a significant increase from the nearly 36 percent who said the same in the 2021 harvest survey.

Temperatures soaring into the high 30s and low 40s across the Mediterranean basin in May damaged olive trees as they started blossoming, preventing many trees from yielding fruit.

With temperatures expected to continue rising in the region, farmers are looking for more resistant varieties that can withstand rising spring temperatures.

“It is important to switch to new varieties that are able to cope with the ongoing climate change,” said Eran Galili of Galili Olive Oil in northern Israel. “Varieties that can bloom in a hot summer and are ready for a hot summer. It will take quite a few years to adapt ourselves to the new situation.”

After excessive heat, 40 percent of respondents said drought impacted their harvest this year, a significant rise from the 33 percent of respondents who said the same in the 2021 harvest.

“This year, due to the hydric stress from the absence of water in September specifically, come harvest time a few weeks later, the olives had shriveled up, and the yield was abysmal,” said Albert Cohen of Jaén-based Tropicual, adding that he needed three times as many olives per liter of oil as the previous year.

Despite some reprieve, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said much of the Mediterranean basin remains in a drought due to higher-than-average temperatures accelerating plant evapotranspiration and previous hot and dry weather severely lowering soil moisture content.

While many parts of the Mediterranean basin remain in a drought, several regions have experienced significant rainfall, which helped replenish some water sources and created different problems for producers.

“In my region [the Croatian island of Šipan], we had a lot of rain during the summer months, followed by excessive heat. That affected olive trees,” said Mato Goravica of Bonita. “In August and September, there was a high infestation of the olive fruit fly, causing a lot of damage to the olives.”

Overall, 30 percent of farmers and millers said excessive rainfall affected their harvest this year, and 33 percent said the olive fruit fly, proliferating in warm and wet weather, impacted their harvest.

Along with rain, spring hail storms in parts of Turkey also contributed to the country’s dramatic production decrease compared to its record-high harvest in 2022/23.

“Poor weather conditions and frosts at the end of March did a lot of damage to the olive flowers and following production,” said Turkish olive oil producer Mustafa Safa Soydan. “For some elderly farmers, there has never been such a poor harvest since 1990.”

High olive oil prices help and hinder producers

Since the International Monetary Fund began tracking global olive oil prices in 1990, there has never been a steeper price increase than the one experienced over the past 12 months.

Between November 2022 and November 2023, global prices, adjusted for inflation, rose by nearly 65 percent, soaring from $5,145 to $8,891 per ton.

Thirty-five percent of farmers and millers said the higher prices had a positive to a very positive impact on their business compared to 21 percent of respondents who said it would have a negative or very negative impact. The remaining 41 percent said rising prices had no material impact.

According to survey responses, farmers and millers were in two minds about rising prices: one camp said they help offset higher production costs and lower yields, while the other worried that high prices were encouraging fraud and adulteration as well as forcing more price-sensitive consumers to either buy less olive oil or switch to cheaper alternatives.

Michail Athanasiou Sakellarios of Athanasios Sakellarios Farm said high prices could be a helpful tool for producers to educate consumers who take olive oil for granted.

“In Greece, olive oil is being used every day for cooking, so it is a product that is taken for granted,” he said. “Consumers were used to very low retail prices (€4.5 to €6 per liter), whereas the average producer would get €2.5 to 3.5 per kilogram.”

“In a small-scale economy like Greece’s very fractured agricultural sector, the prices paid to the producer usually did not cover the production cost,” Athanasiou Sakellarios added. “Now that those prices have tripled, the producer finally earns some money and makes a profit, but the average consumer has a hard time buying olive oil for everyday use.”

Laurence Deprez-Zenezini of Umbria-based Cultura Viva said high prices give producers a unique opportunity to inform the public about what it takes to produce extra virgin olive oil and why it stands out.

“There is a major opportunity around education on olive oil production, health benefits, and quality,” he said. “Without this, olive oil remains a commodity, and consumers expect to pay €10 a liter or less. This is a problem.”

However, rising interest rates and historic inflation levels caused many buyers to reduce discretionary spending, including olive oil.

“Consumers complain about the high prices, and the result is for them to order lower quantities than usual,” said Arianna De Marco of Cantasole in Puglia.

Taki of Bata Tarim ve Gida Urunleri, who experienced a 65-percent decrease in his harvest due to drought, summed up both sides of the pricing argument:

“Higher prices are compensating part of our losses,” he said. “However, we are afraid of their long-term negative effects, such as increased fraud and deterring consumers from buying olive oil. We hope that production levels and prices will normalize as soon as possible.”

Government support in fighting fraud cited as a top priority

While farmers and millers contemplated the benefits and challenges of high prices, many agreed that the sector’s priorities should be to curb some of their consequences.

Sixty-three percent of respondents said standards enforcement to reduce fraud in the marketplace should be a priority for producers and other stakeholders.

“Fraud reduction would be a huge asset and help the California industry survive here in the United States,” said Karen Tallent of The Groves on 41.

While high prices are one factor that encourages fraudsters to act, other producers worry that this year’s drop in production will result in rising levels of adulteration to meet the demand for extra virgin olive oil.

“It’s to our disappointment that due to shortages in extra virgin olive oil production worldwide and especially in Greece, producers and traders intentionally offer low-quality olive oil or blended and adulterated ones,” said Dimitris Katsanos of Alpha Pi in northeastern Greece.

Along with standards enforcement, 50 percent of producers said the sector should receive increased government support.

“The reduction of packaging costs and bureaucracy such as organic label and official analysis, specific for small or traditional rainfed farms [should be a priority],” said Marije Passos of Passeite in Portugal.

Gian Luca Buscaglia of Umbria Tellus in Italy added that authorities should consider “state subsidies for shipping costs; subsidies for processing costs (mills)” to help keep small-scale farmers operational in the challenging macroeconomic environment.

Meanwhile, Zeynep Belger of Zayto believes that governments have a role in promoting the organoleptic qualities and the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil.

“As a high-end extra virgin olive oil producer, the main challenge is to define my product as a high-quality food and not just a commodity,” Belger said.

“Consumer information and education will play a role,” she added. “Governments should support olive producers that respect sustainability as it is good for people and the planet.”

Belger’s comments tie into the need for a worldwide promotional campaign to increase olive oil consumption, which 45 percent of respondents said must be a priority for the sector.

“The consumer needs to appreciate the difference between high-quality olive oil and olive oil,” said Jeff Martin of California-based Frantoio Grove.

Beyond these, 32 percent of producers said carbon credit programs should reward olive growers, while 22 percent called for more programs to attract workers to rural regions.

Amid the trade tensions over the past five years and historic inflation levels in the past two, only 13 percent of producers called for tariff reductions and other measures to reduce prices at retail.

Rising role of tourism in the olive oil business model

Olive oil production is a low-margin business, and every way to cut costs or increase revenue is necessary to preserve the economic case for small-scale and traditional producers.

Perhaps as a result of making the math work, not to mention the natural beauty of an olive grove, two-thirds of respondents said they welcome tourists to their mill, grove or facility.

Forty-five percent of respondents described the importance of tourism to their overall business as important to extremely important, with 12 percent saying it was extremely important.

Meanwhile, more than 37 percent described tourism as less important or unimportant to their business. About 18 percent described it as somewhat important.

For producers welcoming tourists, tastings were the most common activity, with 87 percent of respondents offering the experience. Separately, 61 percent offer estate or harvest tours and nearly 39 percent run courses or workshops.

Taking advantage of the fact many olive groves are surrounded by stunning scenery, about one-quarter of respondents said they offer their groves and associated infrastructure as an events venue, and 22 percent said they welcome overnight guests.

While tourism provides an opportunity to educate consumers about olive oil quality and convert a curious consumer into a lifelong customer, producers said Byzantine legislation in some places must catch up.

“To be an agritourism [operator in Umbria], you’re required to have at least three hectares and higher earnings in agriculture than hospitality,” one producer said.

“You cannot give your guests a true experience or taste of your farm and labor unless you can afford a HACCP kitchen,” she added.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s 2017 census, its most recent, the average age of farmers in California rose to 59. Overall, one-third of American farmers are over the age of 65.

The Olive Center at the University of California-Davis is working to change this trend with its recently launched Olea Learn program.

The professional training program combines diverse experiences for students to learn about growing olives and producing and marketing olive oil.

“For students, it’s a great opportunity,” Javier Fernandez-Salvador, the UC Davis Olive Center’s executive director, told Olive Oil Times. “The only way you get an experience like this is when you’re working in the industry. And for the industry, they get a continuous source of trained personnel at the best agricultural school in the world.”

“We chose the name Olea Learn because students will learn everything about olives,” he added. Olea is the Latin word for olive or olive tree.

The pilot program started in 2022 with one student and has grown to five apprentices.

Fernandez-Salvador envisions the program, supported by a combination of olive oil producers and agricultural equipment manufacturers, can provide training for four to five apprentices each year over the next five years.

He said the program offers opportunities for undergraduate students to receive hands-on training in olive research, farm management, data collection and processing, product management and marketing with industry members.

Apprentices also gain familiarity with a wide range of agronomic and business subjects, including field management, irrigation practices, pest control, research and finances of orchard management.

Practical work on olive trees occurs at Wolfskill Experimental Orchards in Winters, which includes a research orchard considered a treasure of centennial heritage trees.

Fernandez-Salvador explained that Wolfskill’s two olive orchards are where students conduct experiments, pruning, calculating proper fertilization, irrigation and yield for olive trees.

One olive orchard is dedicated to a super high-density system and is open for experiments and trials. The second orchard is planted with medium density, with older trees that have not been managed for several years, providing an ideal site for the recovery project.

“The recovery project is of special interest to the olive oil and table olive industry,” Fernandez-Salvador said.

“Students share valuable advice with local producers as they develop solutions to address issues related to irrigation or soil management,” he added.

Participants shared their impressions of the program in a press release published on the Olive Center’s website.

“The biggest thing that attracted me was the chance to learn what goes on in the industry, not just taking care of the plant, but the logistics of financing an orchard and selling products,” said Irvin Chao, a senior majoring in biological systems engineering.

“Working here gives you the perspective of the small-scale farming industry,” he added. “We get to see what it means to lead an agricultural business.”

Raeva Johnson, a sustainable agriculture and food systems major, said her favorite part of the program was conducting yield analysis based on how many pounds of olives were harvested.

In addition to hands-on learning in the orchards, the Olea Learn program offers opportunities for students to network with industry professionals at events, speaking engagements and workshops.

Sensory training and learning how to professionally taste and evaluate extra virgin olive oil and crafting, designing and marketing oils are part of the core curriculum.

Along with harvesting the olives and producing the olive oil, students design the bottles and market the products in downtown Davis and the university bookstore.

Fernandez-Salvador said he is filled with pride when he sees the students take ownership of the products they helped create.

“Olea Learn is a win-win for both students looking to gain important expertise and for statewide agricultural companies looking to hire skilled workers,” Fernandez-Salvador said

“The Olea Learn program provides a steady flow of well-trained agricultural personnel such as agronomists and olive specialists to the labor force,” he concluded. “With this apprenticeship, we can provide trained personnel to respond to growing labor needs.”

• UC Davis Olive Center

According to Alison Linder, the college’s sustainability coordinator, the olive harvest was inspired by a similar event at nearby Scripps College to create a hands-on learning experience and promote sustainability.

“I’m happy to support efforts like the olive oil harvest that bring climate action to the forefront of life on campus and show that we all have a part to play,” she told Olive Oil Times.

“Our campus, located in sunny, urban Southern California, is home to more than 125 fruiting olive trees, revered by observers for their beauty and shade provision, and by grounds and sustainability staff for their drought and climate resilience,” she added.

While there had previously been interest in an olive harvest, a newly staffed sustainability office and a particularly wet winter created the perfect opportunity to coordinate a successful harvest and community event.

“The intention of Occidental College’s first olive harvest was multifaceted: first, to bring awareness to climate-resilient, drought-tolerant landscaping practices used on its campus; second, to create a community around local food production; third, to introduce our reimagined office of sustainability to the Occidental community,” Linder said.

The sustainability office was recently revived due to student, staff, board and faculty interest in seeing a coordinated effort for sustainability planning and action on campus in the face of increasingly evident impacts of climate change.

Interest in its efforts was manifested by roughly 75 volunteers from all areas of the campus helping to pick olives at the event.

“It was eye-opening for me to see the quantity of olives required to produce one gallon of oil, and several volunteers were surprised about the length of time required to fill a bucket,” Linder said. “In the office of sustainability, we hope this hands-on opportunity leads to a greater appreciation of the products we consume.”

Immediately after harvesting, Lola Trafecanty, Occidental College’s ground manager, and Isa Merel, the assistant sustainability coordinator, drove the olives two hours northwest to Ojai Olive Oil Company.

Ojai Olive Oil received and transformed the 500 pounds (225 kilograms) of olives immediately upon arrival. The olives were milled into 12 gallons (45 liters) of olive oil within four hours of harvesting.

“The novelty of such a momentous occasion brought an energy of excitement and enthusiasm to campus,” Merel told Olive Oil Times. “I was approached by community members who I would have never otherwise interacted with, telling me how excited they were for the harvest and thanking me for my hard work.”

Occidental College’s olive grove is more than 130 years old and started when landscape architect Beatrix Farrand, one of the founding 11 members and the only woman of the American Society of Landscape Architects, planted four trees in 1936.

Over time, the grove has expanded and now provides students, staff, faculty and campus fauna shade to relax, study and socialize, all while producing a viable crop for community use.

Olive trees, although not native to California, are incredibly resilient in the face of high temperatures and drought, an increasingly necessary trait in campus landscaping as the summers become hotter and winters become drier due to climate change.

“We hope that through this inaugural harvest, and by honoring the trees’ bountifulness, we have sparked a community-wide appreciation for their distinctive resilience,” Linder said.

In the future, college officials see potential for ongoing research opportunities on soil quality, olive oil organoleptic qualities, economic impact and increased environmental awareness.

A research partnership is also envisioned with the biology and geology departments to test and remediate the soil using regenerative practices to increase nutrient availability and water retention capacity.

For instance, one project focuses on composting olive pomace on-site to create an all-natural fertilizer.

Occidental also hosts a food studies minor, an interdisciplinary area of study that encompasses environmental policy, sociology, culture and religion and kinesiology.

This interdisciplinary minor is an ideal platform for a directed research project on sustainable olive oil production, health and community benefits specific to Occidental College.

Plans include inviting students and faculty members to join the research and maintenance process to make the olive harvest an annual campus tradition.

During the harvest, the sustainability office was also approached by faculty interested in making ink from campus olives, showcasing the multiple possibilities with an event like this.

“After a four-year pause in our office of sustainability, it has been so rewarding for this to be the kick-off event for a new era of campus sustainability programs,’” Merel said. “I can’t wait to see where future iterations of this new campus tradition go.”

Student involvement also included designing the bottle label. “Working with a student to design the bottle label has been one of my favorite parts of this project; Alice Amdur’s creativity, talent and passion for art have been infectious,” Merel said. “I believe it makes this year’s olive oil much more special.”

“This was a great opportunity to bring together the interests and talents across campus in creating a sustainable and locally originated product,” Linder concluded.

• Occidental College