E.U. exports to the U.S. currently face a ten percent tariff imposed in April, which could rise to the original rate of 20 percent. U.S. President Donald J. Trump had previously threatened Europe with 50 percent tariffs if a deal was not reached. 

New data showing U.S. tariff revenue increased fourfold over the past year, with trade volumes declining by 25 percent from March 2025 to April, when the tariffs were implemented, are expected to buoy the administration’s confidence in the policy and lower the chances of a détente.

While producers from around the olive oil world have told Olive Oil Times that consumer prices are unlikely to rise before the start of the next harvest, the uncertainty of what tariffs will be when the first Northern Hemisphere olive oil is produced in October makes it impossible to plan for the future. 

Producers have not ruled out raising prices to cover the cost of the tariff or diverting products away from the U.S. to other markets.

“The problem is uncertainty, because the U.S. government has already given at least four versions of what the policy will be, and so far it has not applied any,” said Juan Vilar, the chief executive of Vilcon, a strategic consultancy in the olive oil sector. “The first thing we need is certainty before we determine what the impact will be.”

Meanwhile, the four European countries that comprise the European Free Trade Agreement – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – have signed a deal to remove tariffs on imports from the four South American countries that make up Mercosur, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. 

According to World Bank trade data, Switzerland imported 126 kilograms of virgin and extra virgin olive oil valued at $1,260 (€1,165) from Argentina and five kilograms of virgin and extra virgin olive oil valued at $800 (€740) from Uruguay in 2023. 

The deal is expected to remove tariffs applied to olive oil imports by Swiss authorities, ostensibly paving the way for South American exporters to compete with European producers that already enjoy free trade access to the Swiss market.

Overall, the data show the three largest EFTA members combined to import 16.9 million kilograms of virgin and extra virgin olive oil valued at $144 (€133) million in 2023. 

However, there were no olive oil exports from the Mercosur countries to Norway or Iceland, as these countries do not currently apply tariffs on virgin and extra virgin olive oil imports from Argentina and Uruguay. No trade data for Liechtenstein, the seventh smallest country in the world by population, were available for analysis.

The EFTA-Mercosur trade deal comes shortly after the E.U. and Chile signed a free trade agreement, removing tariffs on Chilean olive oil imports. Meanwhile, the E.U. and Mercosur trade deal awaits ratification by E.U. capitals.

The raft of trade deals paves the way for more exports from South America, the largest olive oil-producing region outside the Mediterranean Basin, to Europe at a time when European exporters are dealing with the uncertainty created by U.S. tariffs, with limited alternatives. 

“The United States is our biggest market,” said Manuel Norte Santo, the export manager of the Portuguese producer and exporter Est. Manual Silva Torrado. “It’s very complicated to predict what will happen. We’ve been talking with our clients, and they told us that we need to wait a few months to understand what will happen since the Trump administration is very volatile.”

• FT
• EFTA

“With an accomplished record of brand development and operational excellence, Giacomo Campinoti is a natural choice to serve as CEO and lead Filippo Berio USA into a new era of innovation and expansion,” said Salov Group chief executive Gianmarco Laviola. 

“The U.S. is a key market for Filippo Berio, and we are certain that Giacomo will sustain the storied brand’s legacy while creating compelling new growth opportunities,” he added.

Campinoti, a certified public accountant, previously served in management and executive roles at several food industry and luxury brands, including nearly 11 non-consecutive years as the chief financial officer and later as the chief executive of De Cecco USA, which produces and imports Italian extra virgin olive oil, pasta and pasta sauces. 

Before that, he worked as the director of finance and accounting for Italian coffee giant Lavazza and as the financial reporting budget manager at fashion house Benetton USA.

Now, the Florence native will be expected to expand Filippo Berio’s market share in the world’s second-largest olive oil-consuming country and brand awareness through strategic partnerships and consumer education.

Immediately, Campinoti will face uncertainty around the imposition of a ten percent tariff by the United States on imports from nearly every country, including olive oil from the European Union.

Marco De Feo, the vice president of marketing at Filippo Berio USA, told Olive Oil Times in a March 2025 interview that the company has a responsibility to lobby the U.S. government for exemptions for olive oil, emphasizing how the product aligns with the “Make America Healthy Again” policy.

“The main point is that there is not enough oil locally to supply the demand,” De Feo said. “Hopefully, the government will understand and allow olive oil to come in without major tariffs disrupting the entire supply chain.”

“If the tariffs do not last for too long, prices are unlikely to rise,” he added. “If they last longer, that will create some disruption.”

Another challenge facing Campinoti will be to increase household penetration in the olive oil category, which currently stands at about 50 percent.

“We saw household penetration spike during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were cooking at home much more, and that helped increase olive oil consumption,” De Feo said. “Due to the supply chain issues that we experienced during the last two years, household penetration has fallen to pre-Covid levels.”

“It’s unfortunate, but that shows there is potential to grow the category,” he added. “We might never reach 90 percent, but even reaching 60 or 65 percent would be a huge increase, considering per capita consumption is still less than one liter.” 

Campinotini is also expected to be tasked with increasing sales outside of the northeastern U.S., which accounts for approximately 30 percent of the market share. 

Expansion efforts will include taking on companies such as Costco and Walmart, the latter of which dominates olive oil sales in the southeastern U.S.

De Feo has identified Asian American consumers as a diverse and promising demographic for achieving this goal.

“When we look at Asian populations and consumers here in the U.S., we see a culture that embraces the melting pot and fusion culture of trying different foods and cuisines,” he said.

“A lot of Asian Americans who now understand olive oil health benefits are one of the major new consumer groups entering the category, and they tend to select within the olive oil category, the more mild and delicate flavor profiles,” De Feo added. “Instead of a robust extra virgin olive oil, they may prefer refined olive oil or extra light olive oil.”

Despite the challenges ahead, Campinoti said he looked forward to taking the reins at the 158-year-old company.

“Time and again, the U.S. market has demonstrated a healthy appetite for high-quality, evolving culinary experiences,” he said. “I look forward to leading the iconic brand in the U.S. and sharing its continued innovation with an ever-wider audience.”

Farmers, millers and bottlers in the Golden State, which is responsible for virtually all of the estimated 10,000 metric tons of United States olive oil production in the 2024/25 crop year, overcame high temperatures at key moments of olive development, the emergence of the olive fruit fly and logistical challenges throughout the harvest.

While climatic and economic challenges are ever-present in a producer’s mission to craft world-class extra virgin olive oil, some entrants faced more personal trials and tribulations.

For Nancy Frishberg of Rancho Milagro, this year’s harvest was particularly emotional. Her partner, who had managed the ranch since its inception, passed away unexpectedly in October.

“He was only 75 and had a lot of things to accomplish,” Frishberg said. “And then, you know, he was gone.” 

The loss left Frishberg in charge of the operation, which she had never anticipated. “This is my first year of being the manager of the harvest,” she said. “I’ve had to learn the ropes, but I think I’ve done okay.”

The past year also brought rain during harvest, forcing producers to adjust their schedules. Additionally, extreme summer heat, reaching 109°F (43°C), posed challenges for the olive trees. 

“We had some really, really hot days last summer. It got to 109ºF when we left. That was exceptionally high, I thought, for this part of California,” Frishberg said.

Her background is in marketing and linguistics, a stark contrast to the agricultural expertise her late partner brought to Rancho Milagro.

“I was an academic. I have a Ph.D. in linguistics, specializing in sign languages,” she said. “Then I spent years in tech, working in user experience and human-computer interaction. None of that had anything to do with olive oil.” 

Despite the steep learning curve, she embraced the challenge, hiring a consultant to refine their olive oil blends. 

“I said to her, ‘Here’s what I know about what’s in these barrels. Put together a blend for me that represents our ranch and that uses as much of those three other varieties as possible.’ And she did that. And it’s been winning awards,” Frishberg said.

Among them was the NYIOOC Gold Award for its medium-intensity Frantoio monovarietal. Additionally, the ranch’s Field Blend of Frantoio, Hojiblanca, Coratina, and Picual olives received a Silver Award.

The shift from opportunistic blending to intentional blending proved to be a game-changer. 

“I needed to have somebody to help me on the blend. This is the key difference between the opportunistic blend and the intentional blend,” Fishber said.

For Elise Magistro, owner of Luretík Estate, winning at NYIOOC was a powerful validation of her team’s commitment to quality. 

“Winning in New York confirms the rigorous standards we hold ourselves to, from the grove to the bottle,” she said. “We see it not only as recognition of our work but as a signal to our growing community of customers and collaborators that Luretík delivers a truly world-class extra virgin olive oil experience.”

Magistro added that the NYIOOC award increases customer awareness and has improved the brand’s presence in retail, culinary and hospitality channels.

“It also affirms our forward-looking work: blending varieties for complexity and balance, investing in sustainability at the grove level, and building new formats like micro-batch bottlings and curated sensory experiences,” she said.

Magistro also highlighted how California’s success at NYIOOC is reshaping global perceptions of the region’s olive oil. 

“The steady presence of California oils at NYIOOC is shifting how the world views our producers,” she said. “Luretík is part of that evolution here on the Central Coast. We’re fortunate to grow in Santa Barbara County, which enjoys a Mediterranean-like microclimate where our Italian cultivars thrive and give us a diverse palette for crafting nuanced blends.”

Rather than focusing on monovarietals, Magistro said she produces blends to express her experience at Luretík. 

“From the outset, it has been important for me to craft oils that reflect who I am and where I come from,” Magistro said. Our approach is rooted in creating blends that are deliberate compositions rather than a California version of an Italian monovarietal oil.”

The 2024/25 harvest yielded slightly lower results compared to California’s standout 2023/24 season, but producers observed high harmony scores, elevated phenols, and complex aromas in certain varieties. 

“We made strategic adjustments during harvest timing as well as in post-harvest blending, decisions which paid off: the result was a gold medal oil that exemplifies both precision and adaptability,” Magistro said.

However, she highlighted logistical challenges of scaling production. “Ensuring rapid transport to our organic-certified milling partner is critical to preserving fruit integrity, and we’ve been disciplined about maintaining that 12 to 24-hour window,” Magistro said.

“We’re also developing long-term partnerships to bring milling closer to the grove, part of a broader investment in regenerative and operational resilience,” she added.

Looking ahead, Magistro remains optimistic about the 2025/26 harvest, noting steady budding across nine varieties and favorable spring weather supporting optimal flowering conditions.

“We’re continuing to deepen our biodiverse practices and expand grove capacity, laying the groundwork for future growth in both volume and innovation, like micro-lots and climate-responsive cultivation.”

Meanwhile, in the hills of San Miguel, known for its Mediterranean climate and rich agricultural heritage, Richard and Myrna Meisler of San Miguel Olive Farm also celebrated a triumphant season.

The couple, aged 86 and 87, started their farm in 2006 with only ten trees. Nestled in the Central Coast’s rolling hills, the perennial winners celebrated a ninth straight year of success at the NYIOOC.

“We are also very proud to have received four Gold Awards for our endeavors this year,” they said. “The accolades reinforce their unwavering commitment to quality and sustainability.”

Their success, alongside other producers, highlights the resilience and dedication of California’s olive oil industry. “We both feel Californians are known for facing challenges well and moving forward,” they said.

Looking ahead, California producers are bracing for another active wildfire season. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 2,000 fires have burned approximately 30,000 hectares as of 2025. 

While olive growers have experienced limited exposure, smoke has not been shown to affect olive oil quality; however, they continue to monitor environmental conditions closely. 

At Rancho Milagro, the ranch manager only mulches pruning leftovers while brief rains continue—once the heat sets in, fire danger makes such practices too risky.

“We haven’t had a fire in this part of California since 2021… But starting soon, it will be the dry season,” Frishberg said. “And by the time August comes around and September, that gets to be iffy because there’s lots of fire danger.”

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.

Currently, E.U. exports to the U.S., including table olives and olive oil, face a ten percent tariff, down from the original 20 percent tariff announced on April 2nd.

Trump cited trade barriers, Value Added Tax (VAT), corporate taxes and European litigation against U.S. companies as the reasons for more than doubling the originally proposed tariff rate.

European and U.S. officials have acknowledged that the negotiations are currently at an impasse, with both sides adhering to their long-held positions.

If the U.S. were to follow through on its tariff plan, European officials are considering whether to retaliate.

Member states have already voted to approve a 50 percent tariff on €21 billion on some U.S. goods, and the European Commission is also consulting on an additional list of goods valued at €95 billion.

Trump’s announcement came days after the International Olive Council said U.S. olive oil imports had increased by seven percent in the first seven months of the 2024/25 crop year, including a 34 percent increase in February 2025 compared to February 2024.

IOC data show the U.S. imported 99,033 metric tons of olive oil since October, valued at €787 million. 

According to the IOC, the E.U. is the leading exporter of olive oil to the U.S., shipping an average of 252,000 tons annually, which represents more than 90 percent of U.S. olive oil imports.

Overall, the U.S. is Europe’s largest trading partner, accounting for more than 20 percent of goods exported, with a value of €530 billion in 2024.

While many European exporters managed to ship the 2024/25 harvest to the U.S. ahead of the tariffs being announced in April, they are increasingly looking at other markets.

“For the next harvest, we’ll be ready to export to Canada, Germany and South Korea if we cannot bring the product into the U.S. in decent conditions,” said Marie-Charlotte Piro, the co-owner of Tuscany-based Olio Piro.

“Small producers like us cannot be counted on to absorb all the tariff,  and we cannot count on small retailers like our wholesale partners to absorb it,” she added.

However, the well-developed and highly familiar U.S. market, which represents 37 percent of global olive oil imports, will be difficult to replace. 

For comparison, Asia’s largest and wealthiest countries, including China, India, Japan and South Korea, imported less than one-third the amount of olive oil by value as Spain, Italy and Greece exported to the U.S. in 2023.

The potential for new trade barriers comes as the IOC also found that the value of E.U. olive oil exports has fallen significantly, dropping to €647 per 100 kilograms in February 2025, a 32 percent decrease compared to the previous year and 7.5 percent lower than in January.

Lower export prices are largely due to harvest rebounds across the Mediterranean, including Spain, Turkey and Tunisia. According to the IOC, E.U. olive oil exports by volume increased by 21 percent in February 2025 compared to February 2024 and by 12 percent compared to the previous month.

• Financial Times
• International Olive Council

The proposed industry-funded olive oil promotion cooperative aims to raise awareness about extra virgin olive oil’s health benefits and culinary uses.

“Growing olive oil culture in the U.S. is not just important, it represents a major shared opportunity for importers, domestic and international producers, retailers, distributors, chefs, dietitians, doctors and ultimately the wider public,” said Giovanni Quaratesi, head of global corporate affairs at Certified Origins, the second-largest importer of olive oil in the U.S.

“Despite the absence of a coordinated promotional effort, and with limited but growing domestic production, the U.S. has become one of the largest olive oil markets outside of producing countries,” he added. “Yet olive oil remains underused and often misunderstood in everyday cooking.” 

International Olive Council (IOC) figures reveal a dramatic surge in U.S. olive oil consumption, from 88,000 tons in the 1990/91 crop year to a projected 398,000 tons in 2024/25. This substantial increase places the United States among the world’s leading olive oil consumers.

Still, per capita annual consumption in the U.S. slightly exceeds one liter, compared to eight liters in Italy and 11 in Spain.

According to market experts, the industry needs to collaborate to increase United States olive oil consumption, and the NAOOA program is increasingly seen as a vehicle to achieve this.

“I work with California producers, some international ones as well as importers and distributors. And I’m seeing the enthusiasm growing [for the NAOOA proposal],” Roberta Klugman, consultant at Klugman and Associates, told Olive Oil Times.

“When it was first launched, a few years ago, people were skeptical,” she added. “I was skeptical. Shortly after learning more about the program, what it could do, we have seen a consensus among producers, importers, distributors and retailers.”

Joseph Profaci, the NAOOA’s executive director, said that the consensus among importers is “almost unanimous” and that U.S.-based producers have strong support.

The proposed program faces significant challenges in helping olive oil take root among U.S. physicians, lawmakers and households.

“One of the ongoing challenges is shifting the perception of the olive oil category from a specialty or occasional-use product to an everyday kitchen essential,” Quaratesi explained. “A lot of progress has been made, yet only less than half of U.S. citizens use olive or extra virgin olive oil.” 

According to Samantha Dorsey, the president of California-based McEvoy Ranch, there is still much work to do to inform Americans about olive oil’s health benefits and culinary uses.

“A research and promotion order would allow the olive oil industry to pool its resources to raise awareness about olive oil’s health benefits, incredible taste attributes and underlying sustainability story,” she said.

Dorsey added that while a unified message is a clear benefit for the industry, the larger win could be for public health, should Americans begin using more olive oil regularly.

“Just imagine how much chronic inflammation we could help alleviate by having just a little more olive oil flowing at the dinner table,” she said.

To boost awareness, farmers and producers told Olive Oil Times that helping U.S. consumers distinguish between olive oil grades and types should be a priority.

“Olive oil is tricky to buy for many reasons,” Dorsey said. “It is perishable, yet somewhat shelf-stable. It is hard to distinguish between grades and types of olive oil. It is usually impossible to taste it before you buy it.” 

“All of these attributes lead to consumer confusion, so any guidance that the industry can offer – through a research and promotion order, for example — will benefit our consumers, too,” she added.

Although public interest in olive oil has grown, driven mainly by its recognized health properties, culinary applications and quality levels remain unclear to much of the U.S. population.

“At times, packaging, social media strategies, and marketing investments carry more weight than the product itself, making it difficult for solid quality offerings to stand out and gain traction without a substantial budget and communication team behind them,” Quaratesi said.

“A related challenge is category segmentation,” he added. “The differences between extra virgin olive oil and olive oil — in terms of production methods, flavor profiles, quality standards and price — are not always clearly communicated on the shelf.”

Quaratesi suggested that building trust and long-term growth in the category could depend on clearly communicating these distinctions.

“In the U.S. market, non-extra-virgin olive oil typically consists of a blend of refined olive oil and a small percentage of extra virgin olive oil,” Quaratesi said.

“This format offers an accessible entry point to the olive oil category for those exploring alternatives to seed oils or other cooking fats, often at a lower price than extra virgin olive oil,” he added.

Quaratesi believes there is room for non-virgin and extra virgin olive oil in the marketplace as long as consumers understand the differences in quality and health benefits.

“Proper shelf segmentation and positioning can help prevent confusion and guide busy shoppers toward the product that best suits their needs,” Quaratesi added.

Producers at Olivaia’s OLA in central California highlighted the vital role of consumer education, primarily through tastings and events.

“One of the comments we have received repeatedly is ‘this does not taste like olive oil,’” co-owner Giulio Zavolta said. “While we take a lot of pleasure in explaining why our award-winning extra virgin olive oil is indeed what olive oil should taste like, the comment is also indicative of the work we as an industry need to do to raise the level of understanding of what a true extra virgin olive oil is.”

“We need to make sure consumers make the connection between taste and health attributes,” he added.

Rachelle Bross, co-owner of Olivaia’s OLA, reflected on the national impact if olive oil became a true staple of the American diet.

“Diet is one of the most powerful and modifiable factors influencing chronic disease in the U.S.,” she said. “Yet, extra virgin olive oil, one of the healthiest fats, remains underused in many American kitchens.”

“Replacing less healthy fats with olive oil is a simple, delicious way to boost overall health,” Bross added.

However, Quaratesi noted a significant gap between the strong interest in healthy eating and the knowledge required to identify and use high-quality extra virgin olive oil. 

“Awareness tends to focus on broad health benefits, or a brand specifically, but often lacks depth when it comes to practical topics like proper storage, culinary applications, flavor profiles or how to evaluate freshness and quality,” he said.

“Expanding this understanding can help shift olive oil from a perceived premium or occasional-use product to a trusted, everyday kitchen staple,” Quaratesi added.

Zavolta said that the combination of low extra virgin olive oil consumption and local production in the U.S. means the industry needs to work harder to get the message across, especially to prospective farmers looking for more drought-resilient crops.

“If every physician, policymaker, and other key stakeholder fully understood the health benefits associated with olive oil consumption, everyone would be eating so much more olive oil daily,” Dorsey added.

“It is a challenge to refrain from over-evangelizing on behalf of olive oil because it feels so special,” she said. “That’s the great part about marketing olive oil: it is legitimately good for you and all of us who know this are eager to tell everyone who will listen.” 

“This is again where a research and promotion order can allow us to refine our message so that the industry can speak to these benefits in a positive and unified voice,” Dorsey concluded.

The proposal sent to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service aims to establish an olive oil research and promotion program to create an industry-funded Olive Oil Promotion, Research and Information Order.

According to its proponents, the initiative would increase demand for olive oil in the country, benefiting the entire supply chain while promoting health and overall well-being.

“NAOOA began working towards creating a USDA-supervised agricultural product promotion board for olive oil around 2017,” Joseph R. Profaci, NAOOA’s executive director, told Olive Oil Times. 

“At the time, I was chair of NAOOA, and we hired the commodity board expert William Watson of The Fresh Approach as a consultant to guide us through the process,” he recalled, highlighting Watson’s previous successes with similar initiatives for mango and watermelon boards.

The draft order outlines a provision for olive oil handlers and importers to pay $0.08 per gallon (€0.02 per liter), applicable only if they handle or import more than 5,000 gallons (18,900 liters) per year.

On the domestic side, first handlers would pay the assessments and, despite representing only a small share of the olive oil consumed in the U.S., they would occupy one-third of the seats on the board.

The proposal would not assess growers unless they were also first handlers of the processed olive oil.

“Those who will contribute are the people who process and handle the processed product. The farmers should be protected. They should not be paying the assessment,” Profaci said.

The proposal’s support document notes that while olive oil has entered many American kitchens, it remains widely misunderstood. 

A consumer survey cited in the document revealed that “approximately three in ten who viewed a bottle labeled ‘olive oil’ said they don’t know or don’t believe that it was produced from olives.” 

The document stresses that “the purchase decision depends largely on an understanding and awareness about what makes olive oil special: what it is, how it is made, how to use it, how to appreciate its many flavors and varieties and how it may impact our health and the health of our planet.”

Additionally, two-thirds of the consumers surveyed said they would like to know more about olive oil.

Watson underlined the particular importance of these programs for commodity sectors. 

“The benefit of these research and promotion boards comes from the fact that everybody is on a level playing field,” he said. 

Watson added that the olive oil industry’s willingness to invest in this initiative directly is highly significant. 

“It says a lot that the industry has considered itself in the U.S. market important enough to take this step,” Watson said.

He stressed the thoroughness of the work done so far, which has provided the USDA with a complete picture of import volumes and domestic trends.

While the USDA reviews the proposal, the NAOOA is increasingly optimistic about its outcome. 

“USDA Secretary Brooke Leslie Rollins has clearly indicated her intent to be guided by the principles of Making America Healthy Again, including promoting healthy diets to combat obesity and chronic disease,” Profaci said.

Decades of research on olive oil, particularly extra virgin olive oil, have established a strong scientific consensus on its unique health benefits. 

“Olive oil should be the poster child for the ‘food as medicine’ movement since healthy fats are fundamental in all dietary patterns recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” Profaci said. “Now is the moment.”

The proposal identifies critical barriers to greater consumption: a lack of knowledge, widespread misinformation, inadequate market intelligence and marketing strategies, and a lack of research on health and sustainability.

According to the document, efforts to address these issues to date “have been inadequate,” mainly due to “lack of adequate funding” and “industry fragmentation.”

Profaci acknowledged that “some philosophical objections” exist, rooted mainly in perceptions that USDA-supervised programs represent government interference in business. 

“Philosophically, some people object to anything that looks like a tax and oppose any government involvement in business,” Profaci noted. In this case, however, importers and first handlers would bear the cost, differentiating it from contentious cases in the beef and pork sectors.

The proposed order language specifies that assessments will apply to imported and domestically handled olive oil intended for human consumption, at a rate of $0.08 per gallon. Still, it exempts handlers who manage less than 5,000 gallons annually. 

Further, it formally defines olive oil categories eligible under the program, closely aligning with USDA and Codex standards, to ensure regulatory clarity.

Watson suggested that the USDA’s posting the proposal publicly is a positive sign. “They wouldn’t post it there if they didn’t think it was serious and if they weren’t going to continue to move it forward,” he said.

If approved, the board would launch with an annual budget of approximately $8 (€7) million. 

“That’s not a fortune. But considering NAOOA’s significant educational contributions with a yearly general promotion budget usually under $150,000 (€130,000), $8 million would be a strong start,” Profaci said.

The cooperative would prioritize initiatives such as national educational campaigns targeting health professionals, participation in major nutrition conferences like FNCE, expansion of the olive oil curriculum developed with the Culinary Institute of America, and developing resources for culinary schools, corporate kitchens, and military commissaries. 

Profaci also stressed the importance of retail education. 

“Improving supply chain knowledge about olive oil’s sensitivity to temperature, for example, could ensure consumers and foodservice professionals have the best possible experience with olive oils,” he said.

The support document draws a parallel with the avocado board experience, noting that avocados, once an exotic product in the U.S., have become mainstream within two decades. 

“An olive oil board could change this. Consider that in just 20 years, the avocado board made the once-exotic avocado as American as apple pie,” Profaci said.

The proposal also includes a feature that defers the referendum usually required to launch such programs until three years after implementation. 

“The idea is to let everybody in the sector look at how things are going to move. Everybody is going to have a fair representation on the board. Let’s let it work for three years,” Profaci said.

The support document justifies the deferral by explaining that “early success in promotional activities” is expected to “build credibility and encourage greater industry cohesion before the industry votes on the program continuation.”

Watson estimated that the USDA might move forward with approval within three to six months, but warned that the timing for such processes is uncertain.

Once approved, the program would become effective upon publication in the Federal Register. 

“That rule will say ‘effective this date,’ this assessment rate will begin on olive oils imported and domestically, and the result is that the National Olive Oil Promotion Board will collect these funds and invest them,” Watson explained.

For Profaci and the NAOOA, the proposal represents the culmination of decades of effort. 

“From the time I got involved in the industry in 1993, the association has always looked at the research and promotion order as the U.S. industry’s Holy Grail. This is what the industry in the United States needs. We’re getting close to that objective,” he said.

• Draft of the Olive Oil Promotion, Research and Information Order
• Proposal Establishing the Cooperative for Olive Oil Promotion

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.”

However, U.S.-based farmers and millers have again proven they can produce high-quality extra virgin olive oils that match those from their Old World counterparts.

Farmers and millers from Arizona, California and Oregon combined to win 92 awards at the 2025 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the third-highest total since the competition began in 2013.

From early frosts in Oregon to unpredictable weather and rising labor costs in California, producers overcame a growing list of familiar challenges to craft well-balanced, flavorful, and defect-free olive oils.

California Olive Ranch (COR), the country’s largest producer, won awards for five 100-percent California products and two of its “Global Blends.” The company also won awards for its Lucini brands, which were produced in Italy.

Mary Mori, COR’s vice president of quality and product, said the COR team was “immensely excited” about the news of the awards. The unprecedented haul motivated the company to continue solidifying its commitment to quality.

“We take pride in the awards and results and always review the feedback shared in the analysis for both winning and non-winning oils,” she said. “We then share this with our team to identify areas for improvement.”

“One difference of NYOOC is its focus on overall quality and good taste rather than individual judge preferences,” Mori added. “This allows us to better control our processes, whether by modifying the oils we purchase or by adjusting our own harvest timing to prioritize fresher, early-harvest oils.”

This year’s awards come after what Mori described as a plentiful harvest compared to previous years. 

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. olive oil production slightly exceeded the five-year average, reaching 10,000 metric tons in the 2024/25 crop year. The vast majority of this production is located in California.

“While it’s typically an alternate bearing year, we’ve implemented farming changes, focusing on irrigation and precise deficit irrigation techniques, to better stabilize and significantly improve the quality of the olives delivered to the mill,” Mori said.

While many of the country’s largest producers — including Corto Olive, which earned a Silver Award, and Baltimore-based Pompeian, which claimed three Gold Awards — celebrated their NYIOOC successes, small-scale producers also showcased their ability to craft award-winning olive oils.

In the prolific olive oil-producing region of Paso Robles, Marcum Olive Oil earned two Gold Awards for a pair of monovarietals.

“Winning these awards serves as an inspiration to continuing our commitment to quality, freshness and perfecting our olive oil-making craft,” co-owner Lonnie Marcum said.

“California produces the vast majority of the olive oil in the U.S.,” she added. “This recognition brings not only prestige and credibility to California, but also increased visibility among consumers who seek out the very finest extra virgin olive oils in the world.”

The Central California producer overcame unpredictable weather using sustainable growing techniques and organic olive fruit fly management to produce its hand-harvested, award-winning oils.

“2024 was an interesting growing year,” co-owner Grant Marcum said. “One of our varieties, Coratina, produced twice as much as the prior year, while the other trees, the Itrana, produced about half as much.”

About 2.5 hours south on highway U.S. 101, the producers behind Ojai Olive Oil Company marked a fruitful end to the harvest, winning four Silver Awards.

“It’s always very satisfying to win at the NYIOOC,” owner Philip Asquith said. “This year’s wins bring our total to over 20 awards, which is wonderful. We’re quite proud of our medals, and have all the trophies on display in our tasting room.”

Along with his fellow Californians, Asquith touted the role of the NYIOOC in promoting California extra virgin olive oil to local consumers.

“Our customers are surprised and impressed to hear that California olive oils win so many awards,” Asquith said. “They also like knowing that California has very high standards for what can be called ‘extra virgin’ here. People often don’t know how far the industry has come in this region.”

While the 2024/25 crop year produced high-quality olives, Asquith said the quantity was lower than the bumper harvest of 2023/24. As has increasingly become the case, he highlighted hiring workers for the harvest as one of the biggest challenges.

“The biggest challenge we faced this past season was the cost of picking,” Asquith confirmed. “Every other aspect of our operation has been quite consistent year to year, but the harvesting expenses have gone up quite a bit in recent years. It’s manageable for us, but has become the single biggest cost component in making a bottle of olive oil.”

On the opposite end of California, Apollo Olive Oil celebrated winning two Gold Awards at the World Competition for a pair of organic blends.

Winning at the NYIOOC “helps small producers like ourselves to have third-party confirmation that your olive oil is of high quality,” partner Steve McCulley said. “Because of the high standards of NYIOOC, its results are highly regarded in California.”

“The new ranking system shines a light on producers who have consistently earned top marks over the years, making it easier for consumers to find high-quality oils,” said the producer of the world’s second-highest ranked olive oil.

While Apollo Olive Oil faced adverse weather events in 2024, McCulley said the harvest was consistently high quality. The main difference he saw was that it started later than usual. 

However, he added that the main challenges for producing award-winning quality extra virgin olive oil remain constant.

“Organizing harvest to get sufficient pickers to hand pick, scheduling efficient delivery of olives to the mill, and fine-tuning our special mill that greatly reduces oxidation during processing all require careful planning,” McCulley said.

Not far from Apollo Olive Oil, the producers behind Organic Roots also celebrated their World Competition success, winning Gold Awards for organic Arbequina and Koroneiki monovarietals.

“Winning two Golds at the NYIOOC feels incredible,” the Polit family said. “We are a family-owned and operated business, and when it’s olive harvest time, it’s all hands on deck. To win Golds while competing internationally shows how much our hard work pays off.”

The Polits added that the awards also help boost the reputation of California organic extra virgin olive oil on the global stage.

“Winning awards at the NYIOOC not only boosts the reputation of individual producers but also elevates the perception of California extra virgin olive oil as a whole,” the family said. “It serves as a testament to the state’s commitment to quality and innovation in organic olive oil production.”

While Organic Roots enjoyed a harvest rebound in 2024/25 compared to the previous two crop years, unpredictable weather is always the company’s main harvest challenge.

“​The 2024/25 organic olive oil harvest marked a notable recovery in production and quality compared to the previous two challenging seasons,” the Polits said. “With a combination of timely rains during winter and cooler, steady spring temperatures have supported strong tree development without the extremes that usually hurt organic yields.”

While California dominates U.S. extra virgin olive oil production in quantity, award-winning quality can be found beyond the Golden State.

In neighboring Arizona, Queen Creek Olive Mill earned four Silver Awards.

“Winning four Silver Awards at the 2025 NYIOOC is an incredible honor and a testament to our team’s dedication to crafting exceptional extra virgin olive oil,” president John Rea said.

He added that the awards also serve as a barometer, allowing Arizona’s only commercial olive mill to measure where they stand compared to domestic and international competitors.

“These awards significantly elevate the perception of Arizona extra virgin olive oil, both locally and beyond,” Rea said. “Many people are surprised to learn that high-quality olive oil can be produced in Arizona’s desert environment, and NYIOOC recognition helps dispel skepticism.”

Rea acknowledged that the company’s World Competition success was partly fueled by favorable weather conditions in the previous harvest. He added that the situation is looking good in the olive groves ahead of the coming crop year.

“The primary challenge was timing the harvest in Arizona’s unique desert-continental climate, which differs from other U.S. olive-growing regions,” he said. “We monitor the grove closely from November into December to ensure the olives are harvested at optimal ripeness, balancing quality with weather risks like sudden temperature drops.”

On the other side of California, two producers in Oregon were awarded at the World Competition. Dark Hollow Farm in southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley earned a Gold and Silver Award in its NYIOOC debut.

Further north, Oregonian olive oil pioneer and perennial World Competition winner Durant Olive Mill added four more Gold awards and a Silver Award to its collection.

Owner Paul Durant said that “it feels great” to win at the NYIOOC and know all the oils the company submitted were top-tier, especially its popular Arbequina monovarietal.

“As always, third-party validation is so important for consumers,” Durant said. “We have to source fruit out of Northern California, and people are always interested in how we handle that logistically and if there are any impacts on quality.” 

“We obviously have great quantitative data indicating extra virgin grade, but the awards from NYIOOC hammer home the point that we are able to craft world-class, high-quality olive oil right here in Dayton, Oregon,” he added.

Due to its northern latitude compared to many other olive oil-producing regions, Durant said completing the harvest ahead of the winter frost and snow is always challenging.

“The biggest issue for us is length, weather and logistics,” he said. “We started grape harvest in late August and did not finish milling until December 15th.”

“We had some early-season freezing weather, and if it hadn’t been for our new frost control wind machines, we would have lost a good portion of our estate fruit,” Durant added. “Instead, we were able to get it all harvested at the time of our choosing and did not have our hand forced by the weather.”

Overall, the company processed over 330 U.S. tons of olives this year and had a “fantastic” season in its two-year-old state-of-the-art Pieralisi mill.

“We hit the intersection of amazing quality and fantastic yield.  In an era of rising costs across the board, having such great yield really helped to keep our unit costs down,” Durant said. “We don’t expect to raise any of our prices in 2025.”

Producers were optimistic about the 2025/26 crop year but cautioned that it is still very early in the season and plenty will change throughout the spring and summer.

“We have a great bloom on the trees, and can already tell that it’s going to be a big harvest for 25/26,” Asquith of Ojai Olive Oil Company said. “Even with minimal rain this winter, the trees seem very happy and are packed with blossoms right now.”

“Right now, the trees are looking healthy and the buds are looking good,” Grant Marcum added.

For her part, Mori from COR said that late rain and cool weather in February and March delayed tree growth and blooming, so it remains too early to tell how the harvest will develop.

“The buds we’re observing look promising, but the true picture will emerge in a month or two once the fruit set is established after flowering,” she said. “In previous years with delayed flowering, we anticipated a late harvest; however, summer heat prevented this, so the outcome of this year remains uncertain. Overall, things look good, and we anticipate a fruitful season.”

Meanwhile, Durant said the situation in Oregon looks good so far. “The trees here a just starting to wake up, and we will see how things unfold and hope for the best,” he concluded.

Planas underlined that Madrid has already drafted a detailed economic support plan worth €14.32 billion to mitigate the effects following the initial announcement of the tariffs.

He acknowledged the uncertainty created by the announcement of 20 percent tariffs on April 2nd, which was followed a week later by the temporary application of a ten percent tariff lasting 90 days.

“As a government, we are working to provide direction and certainty,” he said, emphasizing close collaboration with European Union partners to strengthen resilience and empower negotiations with the U.S.

Interestingly, Planas cited the E.U.-Mercosur agreement as an example of market diversification and expansion opportunities for agri-food producers.

The E.U.‘s free-trade agreement with Mercosur is gaining traction across Europe following the announcement of new U.S. tariffs.

According to Planas, crucial Spanish export sectors, such as olive oil and wine, would greatly benefit if E.U. members approved the comprehensive trade agreement with Latin American partners.

However, Rafael Pico, the executive director of the Spanish olive oil industry and export association Asoliva, recently told RTVE that the E.U.-Mercosur agreement would only allow a gradual reduction of tariffs over a 15-year period.

“The Mercosur market is important, but it’s nothing like the United States, neither in terms of volumes nor purchasing power,” he said.

“Per capita income in the United States supports olive oil imports. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for South American countries. There is no viable alternative to the U.S. market,” Pico added.

Regarding overall agri-food exports, Spain’s exposure to the U.S. market is relatively limited.

In 2024, exports to the United States accounted for 4.8 percent of Spain’s total agri-food exports, totaling approximately €4 billion.

By comparison, Spanish agri-food producers exported significantly more to France in 2024: €11.5 billion, which accounts for 15.3 percent of total agri-food exports.

In this context, olive oil represents about 28 percent of all Spanish agri-food exports to the United States.

When it comes to olive oil specifically, the volume of Spanish exports to the United States ranks second only to shipments sent to Italy.

In 2023, Spain’s Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX) in New York estimated that Spanish olive oil shipments represented approximately 41 percent of total U.S. olive oil imports.

According to European Union figures, Spain exported more than 118,000 metric tons of olive oil directly to the U.S. in the 2023/24 crop year.

This figure is expected to increase considerably in the current season due to greater availability and lower prices.

Still, these volumes account only for direct shipments from Spain to the U.S. and do not include Spanish olive oil reaching the U.S. via other countries.

In the 2021/22 crop year, direct exports of Spanish olive oil to the U.S. exceeded 160,000 tons.

“The new tariffs imposed by the United States are unlikely to have any significant impact on the Spanish olive oil sector,” Juan Vilar, a strategic consultant for the olive oil sector, told Olive Oil Times.

According to Vilar, there are several relevant trends to consider, primarily the declining olive oil prices.

“We are at the beginning of a cycle where production exceeds demand. As a result, prices are gradually falling,” he said.

This trend means that Spanish olive oil will become cheaper on the U.S. market.

“American consumers who were paying up to $22 per liter of olive oil over the past two years will now pay perhaps around $17,” Vilar said.

“They will not significantly feel the impact of the tariffs. Ultimately, consumers will still buy olive oil at lower prices than before, even with the full tariff applied,” he added.

According to Vilar, olive oil tariffs should be removed altogether.

“Olive oil is not strategically important for the United States. It is more about consumption, which has grown significantly over recent decades,” he explained.

According to the International Olive Council (IOC), U.S. olive oil consumption in the current season could approach 400,000 tons, surpassing Italy (395,000 tons) and nearing Spain’s consumption (460,000 tons).

“American domestic olive oil production covers only a fraction of this demand, making the U.S. market very attractive for Spanish producers,” Vilar added.

The IOC estimates that U.S. companies produced approximately 13,000 tons annually over the past five years on average.

“Spain is by far the largest olive oil producer in the world. Let’s also consider other EU producers and exporters, such as Italy and Greece, which are major exporters to the U.S. The E.U. will inevitably remain the most important olive oil trading partner for the United States,” Vilar said.

“In such a scenario, the first to bear the cost of tariffs will be U.S. import companies, followed by U.S. consumers, and eventually smaller Spanish exporters lacking bottling facilities in the U.S.,” he added.

Uncertainties remain not only about the tariffs but also regarding their scope. During the previous Trump administration, Spanish bottled olive oil was subject to a 25-percent tariff, while bulk shipments remained unaffected.

“That situation prompted large Spanish producers to establish bottling facilities in the United States,” Vilar noted.

Luis Carlos Valero, manager and spokesperson for the farming association ASAJA Jaén, warned of potential consequences if tariffs were applied to bulk shipments as well.

“If Trump also includes bulk olive oil, he would be shooting himself in the foot, as the entire distribution and bottling industry is located in the United States,” Valero stated.

Vilar explained that of approximately 130,000 tons of olive oil Spain could export to the United States, only around 25,000 tons would be bottled, with the rest shipped in bulk.

Most bottled products would originate from smaller producers without existing bottling facilities in the U.S.

“We need to understand the situation clearly. We are at the start of a new Trump era. Right now, the best move is not to move at all,” Vilar concluded.

Since April 9th, however, the so-called “reciprocal” tariffs have been suspended for 90 days.

The minimum ten percent tariff rate is still in place for products entering the U.S. from nearly every country, including E.U. member states.

“The U.S. market is the top export destination of Greek bottled olive oil, along with Germany,” Yiorgos Mitrakos, the director of Sevitel, the association of Greek olive oil bottlers, told Olive Oil Times.

“The tariffs, if and when they come into force, will mean that olive oil exporters from other countries, such as Turkey, which are hit with only a ten-percent import tariff, could seize the opportunity to increase their share in the American market.”

Mitrakos added that, even if the Trump administration reinstates the 20 percent tariffs on E.U. products, American consumers who want to purchase Greek bottled olive oil will still pay less than they did last year, since prices have decreased this year.

“Nevertheless, there is always a window for negotiations to abolish the tariffs for Greek bottled olive oil, as happened in 2019,” Mitrakos noted.

Meanwhile, officials in Greece, including Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, have dismissed the American tariffs imposed on European and Greek products as “illogical.”

“Greece insists that we have a unified response so that we can be effective as a group of 27 [E.U. member states],” Mitsotakis said in a cabinet meeting. “In any case, we will fight to defend our national interests.”

Tariffs are essentially taxes on imports of products, which are usually passed on to end consumers in low-margin industries as a percentage of a product’s value. 

The 20 percent tariff imposed on olive oil from European producers means that a bottle of extra virgin olive oil sold for $20 in American supermarkets would have a $4 tax on top, bringing the cost to $24.

The Greek table olive sector is also in turmoil after President Trump announced the tariff scheme on E.U. products on April 2nd.

Table olives are the flagship product among all Greek agricultural exports to the United States. In value terms, they account for 27.4 percent of all Greek food and beverage exports to the U.S.

According to Doepel, the Greek interprofessional association of table olives, the 20 percent tariffs slapped on European products imported to the U.S. could favor table olives producers based in countries that are burdened with lower tariffs.

“The increase in the price of the product due to the tariffs and the comparative advantage of other olive-producing countries, such as Egypt, Turkey, Morocco and Latin America that are subject to ten percent tariffs will affect the competitiveness of Greek table olives in the U.S. and, by extension, of our industry,” the interprofessional wrote in a letter to Olive OIl Times.

“The need for diplomatic intervention and support is imperative for the protection of Greek exports and the sustainability of the sector,” the association added.

Greece is also the second-largest supplier of table olives to the United States after Spain. In 2024, table olive exports from Greece to the U.S. reached €214 million, a 39 percent increase compared to 2023.

“The American market is the largest for Greek olives, absorbing 30 percent of the country’s table olive exports,” said Kostas Zoukas, head of the Greek Association of Manufacturers, Packers and Exporters of Table Olives (PEMETE). “Losing the U.S. market would be irreplaceable for the industry.”

Located near the city of Volos in central Greece, Siouras has exported Greek Kalamon and Chalkidiki olives to various countries, including the United States, since the 1930s.

Owner Haris Siouras said that the Greek olive sector is in limbo after the tariffs were announced on the other side of the Atlantic.

“A ten-percent tariff on our olives is not negligible, let alone a 20-percent added tax,” Siouras said. “For the time being, however, most of our orders from the U.S. are being processed as per normal.”

“The Kalamon olives we ship to the United States are not produced there, so thrusting any tariffs on them has no real meaning,” he added.

Siouras also said that table olives have not yet become an essential food for Americans, and the shrinking budget of American households is a significant factor to consider.

“Despite the fact that Americans are now more keen on adopting a healthier diet, they are likely to reduce how much they spend on table olives if they cost more,” he said.

“In any case, as soon as the tariffs were announced, our sector started to look into ways for Greek olives to be exempted from the Trump tariffs,” Siouras concluded. “But we will have to wait until July when the 90-day tariff pause expires for any definitive results.”

• Kathimerini
• Elaias Karpos

The goal is to avoid a 28 percent tariff on all Tunisian exports to the U.S., which were delayed 90 days earlier this month and replaced with a baseline ten percent tariff.

Marouane Ben Jomaa, president of the Tunisian-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, confirmed the ongoing negotiations. 

In his view, the potential application of a 28 percent levy “risks compromising the competitiveness of key sectors such as olive oil, dates and handcrafts.”

Ben Jomaa also noted how different tariffs applied to competing countries would contribute to jeopardizing Tunisian market quotas in the U.S.

While suspended, the tariff scheme President Donald J. Trump previously announced would see E.U. members facing 20 percent tariffs, with olive oil producers from Turkey, Morocco, and Algeria hit with a ten percent duty.

According to United Nations data, in 2023, direct exports of olive oil from Tunisia to the U.S. slightly exceeded $220 (€203) million.

Former Trade Minister Mohsen Hassan noted that the country’s exports benefited over the years from the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which aims to promote economic growth in developing countries by allowing specific volumes of duty-free trade.

According to Hassan, GSP helped Tunisia grow its exports to the U.S., primarily driven by olive oil and dates.

“Imposing a 28 percent tariff on Tunisian goods exported to the U.S. market would limit their competitiveness and create obstacles to their access to one of the most important global markets that Tunisian exporters have worked on in recent years,” he said.

If the tariff agenda does not change in the next three months, the baseline tariffs could also have consequences for Tunisian exports to the U.S. that do not happen directly between the two countries.

“The U.S. is the biggest importer of Tunisian olive oil, both directly and indirectly. What goes in indirectly is more than what goes there directly from Tunisia,” Wajih Rekik, the chief executive of CHO America, the U.S. branch of the largest Tunisian olive oil bottler and exporter, told Olive Oil Times.

The complexities of the olive oil trade between Tunisia and other large producer countries, which are also exporters to the U.S., intertwine with the tariffs that could potentially hit countries to different extents.

“When shipments go to the U.S. from Tunisia, that is a very obvious transaction. But volumes twice as large go to Spain, and from there they are shipped, or re-exported, to the United States,” Rekik said.

“Twenty-eight percent tariffs could have made some damage,” he added. “As everyone is now subject to the same ten percent tariffs, the whole issue is currently way more manageable.” 

The CHO America executive referred to olive oil market dynamics in the United States, which show only a minimal impact from higher prices in the last two years.

“The consumption remained strong even during shortage, with 30 to 40 percent higher prices,” Rekik said.

“Now prices are down, they dropped significantly, that means that the prices for the consumers will still be lower than in the past, even with a ten percent tariff,” he added.

Tunisian olive oil exports to the U.S. in the same period of the current year decreased in value by 26.8 percent compared to the first four months of 2024, primarily due to lower olive oil prices at origin.

Olive Oil Times reached out to some Tunisian producers, who did not comment on the quickly changing scenario but confirmed that the high level of uncertainty does not help sustain their businesses.

Reda Al-Shakandali, professor of economics at the University of Carthage, told local media that the temporary suspension of tariffs creates uncertainty that disrupts the global economy.

According to the professor, Tunisia’s economy is fragile and heavily reliant on tourism, olive oil and fertilizers, with remittances from Tunisians abroad playing a significant role.

In his view, the consequences of the tariffs and the uncertainty will impair investments.

Even amidst such uncertainty, Tunisian olive oil exporters and diplomats hope for negotiations to defuse the threatened tariff spike and consider the whole olive oil trade differently.

“Olive oil is a healthy product. Science tells us that it reduces the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and much more. In a way, olive oil is a medicine for the American consumer,” Rekik said.

“We also know that the Trump administration does not favor seed oils. And olive oil is the healthiest alternative out there,” he added.

“As the United States produces only a fraction of the extra virgin olive oil it consumes, I believe that if there is any product that could benefit from an exception, it should be olive oil,” Rekik continued.

According to Rekik, U.S. consumers could do without several food products imported in significant quantities.

“Look at European wine. There are a lot of wines being produced in the U.S. And that is not the healthiest thing out there in terms of heart or brain health,” he said.

“That is why I am hopeful that, within that logic, the Trump administration would consider exceptions on certain products, and olive oil will be a big one there,” Rekik underlined.

While Tunisia exports a broad range of goods and services to the U.S., animal and vegetable fats such as olive oil produce the most significant numbers.

Agriculture has contributed strongly to Tunisian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in recent years.

According to the latest data from the Tunisian General Labour Union, almost 87 percent of the country’s informal workers are employed in agriculture.

The informal economy includes all activities not regulated or monitored by the government and accounts for 30 to 40 percent of the country’s GDP.

Local companies are at work defining possible scenarios while negotiations begin.

“I know lots of companies are working on short-term solutions, like bringing more inventory to the U.S., but those are short-term initiatives,” Rekik said.

“What is going to matter now is what will remain long-term,” he concluded. “Is this [tariff change] a real long-term change destined to impact market dynamics, or is it just short-term?”

• Agenzia Nova
• Tel Expresse
• Mosaique FM

President Trump campaigned for a second term saying that “tariff” was the most beautiful word in the English language, so it was easy to predict that tariffs would be a hallmark of this administration.

But they may not be so beautiful for the millions of Americans who love and rely on olive oil.

Olive oil is an essential, nutritious food. It’s the healthiest cooking oil people can use. And the United States cannot meet more than 2% of domestic demand. Since American olive trees don’t have a magic switch to supercharge production, tariffs would only hurt American consumers by driving up prices.

That’s the message the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) has been conveying to policymakers and federal agencies since early this year. We aim to show leaders in Washington, D.C. that tariffs on olive oil would essentially be a tax on the health of the American people.

We are optimistic that olive oil has some natural allies in this administration. For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) caucus in Congress have made nutrition a major focus.

Senator Roger Marshall, M.D, a founder of the MAHA caucus, gave an interview in which he effectively articulated a strong science-based case against tariffs on healthy foods like olive oil for which there is no adequate domestic supply:

“About 70% of your health outcomes are determined by you,” the Senator said. “It’s determined by what you eat and what you’re surrounded by. By the time you come to my office as a doctor, I can impact maybe 10 or 20% of your health outcomes…we need to make these healthy foods affordable, available as well…”

Unfortunately, we know what happens when olive oil becomes more expensive. Over the past two years, poor harvests have resulted in much higher retail prices, including a 25% average increase in 2024 alone. As a result, two million fewer American households bought olive oil in 2024 than in 2023.

While that’s terrible news for the olive oil category, the data show that virtually all families who stopped buying earned less than $100,000 annually. The most significant drop came in families earning $40,000-$49,000 annually.

It’s easy to predict that tariffs would similarly harm lower-income families most of all. Sadly, these Americans would benefit the most from better dietary options to improve their health outcomes, but for whom even the least expensive olive oil will become unaffordable.

Increasing U.S. production is often an important and worthy goal of tariff policies, but in the case of olive oil, current domestic production is tiny relative to consumption, and appreciably increasing it can’t and won’t happen for the foreseeable future without policies supporting more investment. Olive trees take time to grow, and the investment needed is significant.

These are all topics that were covered at a recent event, “Drops of Health,” that the NAOOA co-hosted with the Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC) in Washington, D.C. Held one week before President Trump’s April 2, 2025, tariff announcement, Drops of Health attracted a lot of interest among Hill staffers, federal agency personnel and media.

Coupled with NAOOA’s broader outreach efforts, the OOWC event provided a platform to educate lawmakers and policymakers about olive oil and how it’s consumed and produced in this country. Indeed, Congressman Deluzio attended and spoke about how his ethnic heritage helped instill his deep respect for olive oil.

Representative Deluzio’s comments echoed sentiments we heard from other members of congress and their staff from both sides of the aisle in meetings this year trying to cultivate champions for olive oil issues in general, including our pending petitions for a standard of identity and an ag-product promotion program, which are before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture respectively. Both of these initiatives should resonate with the MAHA agenda, as should avoiding tariffs on healthy foods for which there is no adequate domestic supply.

Anyone’s guess is where the tariff saga will go from here. Yesterday, the President announced a 90-day pause that effectively reduces the tariffs to 10% for now. What is clear, however, is that our industry must continue to promote our tried-and-true health message to leaders in Washington, D.C.

Through that effort, we can and will demonstrate how important it is to keep this essential, healthy food affordable and accessible to all Americans.

Joseph R. Profaci is executive director of the North American Olive Oil Association

About one week after it announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on nearly every country, President Donald J. Trump announced a 90-day pause to these tariffs, opting to keep a base rate of ten percent in place instead.

Organizers, including the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA), said the event is part of an ongoing effort to lobby for olive oil’s exemption from any tariff regime.

“The event focused on the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil and strategies to promote its use among Americans,” Joseph R. Profaci, the NAOOA’s executive director, told Olive Oil Times. 

“It wasn’t about tariffs, and we didn’t talk about tariffs directly,” he added. “But we did discuss the two reasons why olive oil should be exempted.”

The first reason is the uniquely healthy profile of extra virgin olive oil, supported by decades of scientific research. “The second reason is that the U.S. doesn’t produce enough olive oil,” Profaci said. 

Over the past 30 years, extra virgin olive oil consumption has tripled in the United States.

However, U.S. producers lament insufficient awareness about olive oil’s health benefits. 

According to estimates from the International Olive Council (IOC), the U.S. is expected to consume 398,000 metric tons of olive oil during the 2024/25 crop year, surpassing Italy’s estimated 395,000 tons. Globally, only Spain is projected to consume more, at 460,000 tons. 

IOC data show that in 2014/15, U.S. olive oil consumption reached 295,000 tons, compared to slightly more than 115,000 tons in 1994/1995. 

“Despite fluctuations in recent years, U.S. production never exceeded 15,000 tons per year,” Profaci emphasized, highlighting the vast gap between domestic production and demand. 

Around half of U.S. olive oil consumption occurs on the East Coast, with most production concentrated in California, where sustained periods of drought and production costs have hampered producers.

“Olive oil is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet. Even modest increases in its use by Americans could significantly impact public health,” Profaci said. 

“For example, research found that even a 20 percent increase in adherence to the Mediterranean diet would save the American healthcare system $20 (€17.7) billion annually,” he added. 

However, tariffs are expected to drive olive oil prices higher for American consumers. 

“That worries me because tariffs risk depriving those who most need access to this healthy product,” Profaci said. “We know from recent experience what happens when prices rise. In 2024, two million fewer American households purchased olive oil compared to 2023.” 

“Upon closer examination, nearly all those households had annual incomes under $100,000 (€88,400),” he added. “Unfortunately, lower-income families, who likely benefit the most from improved diets and health outcomes, will suffer disproportionately from these tariffs.” 

Obesity rates are notably higher among lower-income populations. Citing recent research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Profaci highlighted olive oil’s potential as a healthier replacement for commonly used fats. 

“One of the most interesting recent studies found that amid America’s obesity crisis, olive oil consumption is inversely associated with weight gain, unlike other fats, including vegetable oils,” Profaci said. 

This evidence is among the reasons motivating producers and stakeholders to engage policymakers actively.

During the Washington, D.C., event, a roundtable with Dani Neirenberg of Food Tank discussed strategies for increasing domestic olive oil production. Participants agreed that education is key. 

“We need to educate consumers to drive demand, farmers to recognize the economic and market potential in olive cultivation and policymakers to understand the long-term benefits of promoting olive oil production in the U.S.,” Profaci said. 

According to Profaci, the current tariffs negatively affect the industry’s present and future.

“They interrupt a trend of consumers moving away from seed oils toward olive oil,” he warned. “Consumers typically begin with basic olive oil products, become educated, and gradually choose higher-quality olive oils over time.” 

Profaci noted that this beneficial cycle helped maintain overall consumption levels despite recent shortages and a 25 percent price increase. 

“By interrupting the entryway here, it’s a problem for the industry in the long term,” Profaci added. 

At the Washington event, an olive oil producer suggested that tariffs might benefit producers by raising prices. Profaci disagreed. 

“In the end, it hurts us because our growth depends on expanding the consumer base. Higher prices mean fewer potential lifelong customers,” he said. 

The event, co-organized by NAOOA, also aimed to secure support for producers’ applications regarding establishing a standard of identity and an ag-product promotion group through a research and promotion order. 

“Olive oil is good for our health and as a sustainable product, the health of our planet. Two factors that should be on the top of policymakers’ priority list,” Profaci concluded.

The tariffs include a 20 percent duty on imports from all European Union countries, including Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal.

U.S.-based producers, importers, and European experts have predicted that the tariffs would make olive oil a lot more expensive, leading to a pullback in consumption in favor of cheaper, less healthy seed oils.

Other olive oil-producing countries, including Argentina, Algeria, Chile, Morocco, Turkey and Uruguay, face the baseline 10 percent tariff applied to nearly all other countries.

Meanwhile, imports from Tunisia will face a 28 percent tariff, South African exports to the U.S. will be subject to a steep 31 percent tariff, and Israeli exports will incur a 17 percent tariff.

“They [the Trump administration] basically took each country’s trade balance with the United States, divided by the amount of their imports and cut that in half,” Krugman said. “It was a kind of weird calculation.”

According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the most recent complete dataset available, in 2023, the U.S. imported $713 (€693) million of olive oil from Spain. 

Separate data from Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food show that olive oil exports to the U.S. increased by 57.7 percent last year, exceeding $1 billion (€920 million). 

The world’s second largest consumer of olive oil also imported $707 (€653) million from Italy, $216 (€200) million from Tunisia, $213 (€197) million from Turkey, $101 (€93) million from Greece and $230 (€213) million from other countries.

Currently, U.S. local olive oil production accounts for less than five percent of the current level of consumption, which has grown exponentially across the last decades.

After the Trump administration’s announcement, Dcoop noted that the new tariffs “harm international trade and end up affecting the entire chain, from ranchers and farmers to the consumer (in this case, the American consumer), who is the final link that ends up assuming the increase in costs.”

According to the world’s largest producer, olive oil that will not reach the United States because of the tariffs will be sold in other markets. It warned that more competition could ensue and prices could decrease, hurting the production chain.

Institutions in Andalusia, Spain’s heart of olive oil production, are gearing up to cope with the new tariffs. 

The goal is to unite the agricultural sectors and look for more promising markets as the U.S. may become less appealing.

The regional government’s initiatives also intend to monitor the impact that a more extensive availability of agricultural products, such as olive oil, on the national and European markets might have on prices and margins for the production chains involved.

In 2024, Andalusia alone exported €860 million ($945 million) of extra virgin olive oil to the United States.

María Morales, the president of the farming organization Asaja-Sevilla, warned that different tariffs imposed on the Mediterranean banks may cause further imbalance.

“Many countries on the other side of the Mediterranean [especially Turkey], our competitors in the U.S., have lower tariffs. So it will be easier for them to export,” she noted.

Record olive oil production reported in Turkey, combined with lower tariffs, makes the country an ideal candidate for increasing exports to the United States.

Currently, Turkish exports to Spain slightly exceed those to the United States. As tariffs turn the tables, volumes could quickly shift.

The Spanish government has already announced compensation for up to $15.7 (€14.4) billion to help the country’s companies cope with the shock. This safety net will be extended to all major economic sectors hit by the new tariffs.

Those same tariffs are worrying the Italian olive oil sector as well. Many Italian olive oil exports are destined for the United States, reaching approximately 100,000 tons.

“The U.S. is the number one export market for Italian extra virgin olive oil,” said Nicola Ruggiero, president of the Oliveti d’Italia Consortium. “Of the €3 billion ($3.3 billion) in exports in 2024, about €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) comes from trade with America.”

According to Ruggiero, with the new tariffs, a slowdown can be expected “in the short-term, but we don’t yet know how American consumers will react. Many buy extra virgin olive oil for health reasons,” he remarked.

Still, in a note, the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), an Italian governmental agency, warned operators that many uncertainties loom on several sectors as April 9th approaches, the day the tariffs should come into force.

According to ICE, tariff exclusion mechanisms might be activated for individual companies or products when the imported goods are not domestically available in the United States.

While the tariffs will come into force too quickly for companies to build new factories in the U.S., some large international bottlers have been investigating potential solutions.

“ We’ve been investigating if there’s the opportunity to work with somebody [to co-pack in the U.S.] because we’re not going to be able to build a factory in America in time,” Walter Zanre, the managing director of Filippo Berio UK, told Olive Oil Times in an interview two weeks before the tariffs were announced.

“Perversely, President Trump is right because [tariffs mean] we are going to have to bottle in the United States and create jobs in America, and we’re probably going to have to let people go in Italy because we’re reducing production there,” he added. “So he achieves his goal of moving employment from outside of America into America.”

Another major European olive oil producer, Greece, exports about 20,000 tons of extra virgin olive oil annually to the United States.

In Greece, olive oil producers are asking the Ministry of Development for protection from the consequences of the new tariffs, which are not easy to foresee.

“We are clearly concerned about the developments,” said Dimitris Evangelinos, a spokesman for the Agricultural Cooperative of Organic Olive Producers of Olynthos, in northern Greece.

“The 20 percent tariffs that were announced will certainly result in the product on the supermarket shelf being more expensive,” he added.

He believes the new conditions will pressure the profit chain and farmers. “All of this while the cost of production has made the sustainability of the profession more difficult, and we also have climate change that affects our harvest,” Evangelinos said.

He did not rule out that new conditions might arise. “In the past, with President Donald Trump, there were announcements, and they were withdrawn for olive oil. We hope the same will apply now,” Evangelinos said.

Local experts added that the new tariffs will affect the agrifood sector, which accounts for about 37 percent of all Greek exports to the U.S.

That represents a value of €450 million ($495 million) out of the total €2.4 billion ($2.64 billion) worth of Greek shipments to the U.S.

According to local media, many extra virgin olive oil producers risk losing competitiveness and market share in the U.S. in the medium term.

While most E.U. observers of the olive oil market concur that some time will pass before they understand the impact of the new tariffs, most operators and associations said a unified response from Brussels is needed.

“The E.U. cannot stand idly by in a world where trade balances are changing rapidly and Trump has wrecked the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements,” said Ricardo Serra, president of Asaja-Andalucía. 

Noting how the E.U. adapted its agricultural policies for years to meet WTO standards, Serra said, “We have removed tariffs and linked CAP subsidies to crop production, and now it turns out that overnight and in one fell swoop, Trump has blown all of that up.”

“We gained experience in 2019 with a similar situation. Since then, we’ve developed contingency plans with our clients to respond effectively to possible crises, at least in the short term,” Sergio Massa, the founder and chief executive of Agritalia, told Olive Oil Times.

Agritalia accounts for six percent of Italian extra virgin olive oil exports to the United States and benefits from decades of experience.

“U.S. domestic production cannot satisfy olive oil demand,” Massa said. “Everyone at the table recognizes that we must collectively find a way to address potential tariffs positively.”

The producers behind Bono, the largest Sicilian olive oil exporter to the U.S., which established a multi-purpose facility in New Jersey less than two years ago, share Agritalia’s perspective.

“Tariffs targeting Italian olive oil would have a negative impact on Bono USA, as well as the broader industry,” said Salvatore Russo-Tiesi, president and chief executive of Bono USA.

“We remain hopeful that any trade or political issues can be resolved in a way that supports fair competition and consumer access to high-quality products,” he added.

U.S. olive oil imports have significantly accelerated since the 1990s. According to International Olive Council (IOC) data, U.S. imports grew from 90,000 metric tons in 1990/91 to 200,000 tons in 1999/2000.

This trend consolidated in subsequent years, reaching 258,000 tons in 2009/10 and 391,000 tons in 2019/20. The IOC expects imports to increase further in the current crop year, reaching 398,000 tons.

The U.S.‘s role as a significant global olive oil importer results from the consistently rising demand for the product.

“Throughout the 1980s, olive oil consumption steadily grew, but extra virgin olive oil remained just a niche segment of the market,” Massa recalled, noting the variety and different grades of olive oil available at the time.

“It wasn’t until the 1990s that extra virgin olive oil began gaining broader distribution, thanks largely to increased travel to Italy, the rising popularity of Mediterranean cuisine and the pivotal role played by the food service channel,” he explained.

In the last five years, overall U.S. olive oil consumption has twice exceeded 400,000 tons, approaching the consumption levels of Mediterranean olive oil-producing countries such as Spain and Italy.

However, total U.S. olive oil production for the current season is expected to reach only 10,000 tons.

Given this significant gap between consumption and domestic production, Italian exporters have strengthened their U.S. operations over recent years.

“The New Jersey facility has significantly boosted our U.S. business, enabling us to reach exciting new levels,” Russo-Tiesi said. “Having all operations housed in a state-of-the-art facility provides us full control over the supply chain, from Italy to the end consumer.”

“This has been crucial for maintaining quality control, optimizing logistics, enhancing marketing efforts and driving growth, all of which contribute to increased customer satisfaction,” he added.

Supply chain management and technological innovation have driven Agritalia’s development in the U.S.

The company explained that its automated replenishment program has reliably supplied Italian and European food products to North America for several years.

The program relies on proprietary software that analyzes sales data and accurately forecasts procurement needs for each customer.

“We realized there’s no need to keep inventory sitting in warehouses in the U.S.,” Massa said. “Our proprietary software can accurately forecast demand for any given product at any specific retailer, right down to the local area.” 

By leveraging detailed historical data spanning up to 104 weeks and specific information from retail partners, the company understands how each product performs at every distribution center, accounting for store trends, seasonal fluctuations, promotions and new store openings.

“Our predictions have proven incredibly precise, boasting a 97.5 percent accuracy rate,” Massa said. “Even special promotions and targeted offers are seamlessly integrated into our forecasting model well in advance.”

“This means we can inform every supply-chain partner up to three months ahead of time, ensuring what’s genuinely needed is shipped to distribution centers in the U.S.,” he added.

Through its affiliates, Agrilogistica and Agriusa, the company directly manages all operations, from extra virgin olive oil production to the final distribution.

To ensure complete control of extra virgin olive oil sold in the U.S. through its supply lines, Agritalia developed control procedures known as the Agritalia Sensory Chemical System (ASCS), working in collaboration with International Olive Council-certified laboratories.

The company describes it as a proprietary quality-control system designed to ensure authenticity, quality and traceability of extra virgin olive oil throughout the entire supply chain, from raw material selection to bottling and final distribution.

The system sets rigorous sensory and chemical specifications for each type of olive oil to successfully market products in the U.S., withstand logistics challenges, and preserve quality.

These chemical values, stricter than the IOC’s, are adjusted every six months because olive oil quality changes significantly over time following harvest and milling.

Through batch analyses, the company can guarantee that the product shipped from Italy is precisely the same product delivered to U.S. customers.

ASCS, annually certified by independent certification body FoodChain ID, relies on a network of IOC-certified laboratories to verify the products’ sensory profiles. The system also addresses specific logistics challenges affecting product quality.

“Some of our greatest challenges occur during winter, particularly in northern U.S. states such as Michigan, where extremely low temperatures can cause delays, sometimes lasting weeks, along rail transport routes,” Massa noted.

In such scenarios, containers may sit idle in terminals, requiring transfers and additional handling.

“Products risk freezing. During our studies, we’ve closely analyzed how freezing impacts extra virgin olive oil by examining samples shipped back to us,” Massa said.

While he said that the freezing and thawing do not significantly degrade any of the extra virgin olive oil’s quality parameters, Massa added that it can affect some sensory characteristics. 

“These insights were crucial. They’ve enabled us to define precise technical specifications that safeguard the product’s integrity throughout its shelf life, even under extreme conditions,” he said.

Beyond refining procedures and technologies, Italian exporters believe much work remains to bring high-quality extra virgin olive oil to the U.S. market.

“Consumer awareness remains a challenge,” Russo-Tiesi noted. “Many U.S. consumers may not fully recognize the differences between authentic, certified extra virgin olive oil and lower-quality alternatives.”

“That’s why continuous education and marketing are essential. We remain committed to vigorous outreach programs to highlight Bono extra virgin olive oil’s superior quality, traceability, and health benefits, ensuring consumers can make informed choices,” he concluded.

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.

According to an analysis by the Financial Times, Walmart, one of the largest olive oil retailers in the U.S., removed a section from its website where the company said it was “deeply committed to addressing climate change.”

Before it was revised in December, Walmart called climate change “one of the greatest challenges of our time.” 

Now, the company downplays mention of climate change but continues to say it is “focused on reducing emissions in our operations [and] engaging suppliers to reduce emissions in supply chains.”

Apple, Kraft Heinz, American Airlines, Meta, Ford and Coca-Cola are among the other U.S.-based companies to follow suit alongside Swiss multinational Nestlé.

The speed with which companies have sought to downplay their climate commitments contrasts starkly with the first Trump administration. 

After Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accords for the first time, Walmart was one of more than 4,000 businesses that joined the America Is Still In coalition. The coalition’s members committed to reducing U.S. emissions by 50 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. 

The coalition sought to reconfirm its members’ commitment after the new Trump administration pulled out of the Paris Climate Accords again. Walmart was among the companies that did not re-commit to the effort.

However, other United States-based olive oil bottlers and producers have not wavered in climate change or sustainability commitments.

In February, Baltimore-based olive oil bottler and retailer Pompeian, another America Is Still In coalition signatory, announced its products would bear The Carbon Trust verification label.

“At Pompeian, we’re working to reduce our carbon emissions and to communicate our sustainability credentials transparently,” the company wrote on LinkedIn. “By participating in the Carbon Trust program, we reaffirm our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability, and how we implement sustainable practices at every stage of our olive oil production.”

California Olive Ranch, the U.S.’s largest olive oil producer and an America Is Still In member, has also advanced its sustainability initiatives. 

The company recently announced it would be the first U.S. producer to label its products with the A Greener World sustainability certification.

“ For us, it was really about the land and the farming,” said Mary Mori, COR’s vice president of quality and product. “We wanted to go beyond just a sustainable certification and be regenerative.”

She told Olive Oil Times that COR selected AGW from various sustainability certification firms because it aligned with the company’s goals and permits non-organic farming practices.

Mori said COR has followed regenerative farming practices for the past four years. However, conforming with the AGW certification has caused them to focus on reimplementing biodiversity in their groves and shifting to sustainable power and fuels.

According to its 2024 impact report, COR started planting 11 miles (17 kilometers) of hedgerows with native shrubs and trees to help improve biodiversity and sequester an additional 115 metric tons of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas equivalent (CO2e).

Overall, the company said it sequestered 1.3 kilograms of CO2e more than it emitted for each liter of olive oil produced.

While Mori is unsure what economic impact the certification will have on the company’s olive oil sales, she anticipated that regenerative farming would lower some production costs in the long term, including reducing the reliance on fertilizers and phytosanitary products.

“Our big focus has been more on just doing the right thing for the soil, and eventually, you’re spending less because you’re giving back to the ground what it needs,” Mori said.

COR’s impact report highlighted how following regenerative practices, including grazing 3,000 sheep in the groves, applying more than eight million pounds (3.6 million kilograms) of compost annually and planting cover crops across its groves allowed the company to reduce synthetic fertilizer use by seven percent in 2023.

“We are going be working with our grower partners to get them certified over the next few years and using our template of what we’ve done,” Mori added.

The more significant challenge will be converting the company’s harvesters and tractors to electric vehicles and installing more solar power for its olive oil mill to meet the green energy requirements. Already, COR said one-third of its mill’s energy requirements are met with solar energy. 

Mori said that COR will continue to improve sustainability through its precision agriculture programs, which include using satellites to collect data from the olive groves.

The company is currently involved in two separate research programs to collect data from its olive groves, which it will later use to make agronomic and harvesting decisions on a block-by-block basis.

 ”Using technology to help you make smarter, quicker and cheaper decisions is the push, especially as the costs of farming keep going up,” Mori said. 

• FT
• E&E News

With their fruit, Francesco Travaglini produces the extra virgin olive oil brand Pressure. The revenues from its sale support Refettorio in Harlem, a New York City neighborhood outreach that provides food to vulnerable people.

Thanks to a collaboration between Parco dei Buoi, Italian food importer Gustiamo and the culinary and cultural collective Ghetto Gastro, 150 bottles of this high-quality product are marketed at a premium price to supply the community kitchen with approximately 2,000 meals every year—each bottle providing the equivalent of at least a dozen meals.

Refettorio in Harlem is part of the non-profit cultural project Food For Soul, which chef Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore founded to combat food waste and promote social inclusion.

Currently, 13 Refettorios operate worldwide. Based in regenerated spaces, they are community hubs equipped with kitchens, where socially and economically vulnerable people are served nutritious meals made with quality ingredients, including surplus food that would have otherwise been thrown away.

“It is a great achievement for us to bring relief to so many people with the olive oil produced from these two olive trees that are a landmark of our land,” Travaglini told Olive Oil Times, adding that their name was chosen because of their lush canopies and imposing figures that tower over the landscape of the hamlet of Carpineto.

The Pressure initiative began four years ago when Gustiamo’s founder, Beatrice Ughi, organized a visit to Travaglini’s farm with a group of guests, including chef Pierre Serrao.

Also known as Chef P, he is co-founder of the collective Ghetto Gastro, which brings together food experts and enthusiasts, artists, entrepreneurs and activists. Its mission is to combine gastronomy and art, promoting inclusion and economic empowerment.

“At Gustiamo, we aim to create a network between our Italian producers, customers and friends in the United States,” Ughi said. “We organize various events to bring them together, and every year we visit one of our olive oil producers during harvest.”

“We help the farmers pick olives, set up the nets, carry the fruit bins and more,” she added. “These hands-on experiences allow us to demonstrate to American chefs the significance of working the land and the challenges Italian farmers face. This direct connection with the farmers and their products fosters a deep bond and highlights the crucial relationship between the land and the quality of the products it yields.”

During the farm visit, Travaglini presented the Lions of Carpineto to the guests, pointing out that he had started using their olive oil for non-profit purposes years ago.

“Before my wife Pia and I were married, during university, we used to go back home to harvest with our families, which at that time made oil for home consumption and wholesale,” he recalled. “We always collected the Lion’s fruits at the end, which over time became a rite to conclude the season, even when later we founded the company and focused on high quality.”

Depending on the year, the two trees alone may yield up to 350 kilograms of olives, prompting the Molisian farmers to set them aside to create a limited-edition premium monovarietal.

“Several years ago we met Joseph, affectionately called by everybody Peppino, and we became close friends,” Travaglini said. “From a village in [the West African country of] Togo, he came to our country to study, as an Italian family financed his education.” 

“One day, he told us that a school in his birthplace had some issues, but there was no money to fix them,” he added. “Hence, we thought to sell the Lions’ olive oil and use the profits to help those people.”

With the charity sale, they raised €1,500. Peppino brought the money to his town, where he purchased books and stationery for the schoolchildren and food for those in need.

“It was there that we decided to use the Lions’ olive oil for a good cause,” Travaglini said. 

He added that Peppino later graduated with a food science and technology degree, became a researcher, and worked with important Italian companies. Then, he returned to Africa, working as a professor at a major university and operating in the food sector.

Peppino’s initiative generated much empathy among the group. Thus, Travaglini proposed that Serrao do something similar to one of the projects carried out by Ghetto Gastro.

“Serrao came up with the idea to support Refettorio, and I much appreciated that, since it is a place that promotes social cohesion and dignity based on the concept that solidarity can be made without forgetting quality,” Travaglini said. “Gustiamo set the whole thing up, bringing together the actors and logistics.”

The extra virgin olive oil was named Pressure, a word that can be understood from various perspectives, from olive pressing to the effort required to create a positive social impact.

“Gustiamo and Chef P [Serrao] have been friends for many years, and we deeply admire his work,” Ughi said. “When he proposed donating the proceeds to Food for Soul, specifically to support their Refettorio soup kitchen in Harlem, we were eager to get involved.” 

“Refettorio does outstanding work in Harlem, bringing dignity to the act of eating together, serving high-quality meals and promoting food reuse,” she added. “This collaboration fills us with immense pride. We are very selective about the products we offer through Gustiamo and the people we collaborate with, and if more opportunities like this arise, we would be thrilled to be part of them.”

Produced in the company-owned mill at Parco dei Buoi, Pressure is a monovarietal of Saligna di Larino, an autochthonous olive variety mainly used as a pollinator of Gentile di Larino. 

The company, which is certified organic and practices regenerative farming, cultivates these and other native olive varieties.

Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino complete the main orchard composition, which contains about 2,000 trees. 

Another 1,200 have been added recently to expand production and enhance biodiversity. In addition to extra virgin olive oil, the farm produces asparagus and fruit, including apricots, plums and peaches.

“The contrada of Carpineto, where the Lions are located, is dotted with centuries-old olive trees,” Travaglini said. “Given their age, these groves have an extensive planting layout. It is an interesting area with a soil rich in marine remains from prehistoric times, where it is still easy to find fossil shells.”

“These two majestic trees are not only an emblem of our land, they also show how good can beget good,” he added. “We are happy to be the first link in a virtuous chain that has a strong symbolic value, as it demonstrates how we all can do much with little, but above all that outstanding results can be achieved if we act together.”

• Gustiamo

Brothers Clifford and Charles Graber founded Graber Olive House after buying land and planting olive trees in Ontario, California, 60 kilometers east of downtown Los Angeles, in 1892.

The brothers completed their first harvest two years later and began canning tree-ripened olives in 1910.

During the 20th century, the company steadily expanded distribution from southern California to the rest of the U.S. and other foreign markets.

In 2020, Ontario unanimously named the original house where the company was founded as a historical landmark.

Award-winning actress Lucille Ball and the host of the eponymous Late Night with Jimmy Fallon are known fans.

“My wife loves these olives,” Fallon told millions of viewers in a May 2020 segment while he displayed a gift box of Graber Olives given to his wife, film producer Nany Juvonen Fallon, by his father.

Champion golfer Tom Watson even cited Graber Olives as one of the highlights of the Masters at Augusta National, which he won in 1977 and 1981.

“The food is always good, especially the cornbreads and the Graber olives,” he told Golf Magazine in a 2021 interview. “You can buy them in the can. They’re great.”

Until 2023, the company harvested up to 50 to 60 U.S. tons (45 to 54 metric tons) of olives annually, enough for more than 100,000 cans.

However, Graber Olive House produced less than half of this amount in 2022, the last year the company canned olives.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 2022 was the second-lowest harvest since 2010, with the Golden State producing just 19,900 U.S. tons (18,050 metric tons) of table olives.

Table olive production has declined in California over the past 15 years. Between 2010 and 2014, the Golden State produced 82,700 U.S. tons (75,000 metric tons) of table olives annually. Production declined to 68,520 U.S. tons (62,160 metric tons) from 2015 to 2019, falling even further to 33,490 U.S. tons (30,381 metric) from 2020 to 2024.

USDA officials and olive farmers point to the profound impacts of California’s drought from the late 2010s to early 2020s, extreme spring weather events, increased production costs and challenges finding enough workers as the main reasons for declining table olive production.

Current owner Maura Graber told The New York Times that California’s drought significantly affected the company’s decline.

“We had to buy extra water,” she said. “We had to pay three times as much on the ranch to keep things alive. We just had to make tough choices.”

One of these difficult decisions was selling the drought-stricken orchards to longtime manager Jay Zike. While Zike said he continues to grow the olives the way the family has for over a century, he now sells to other clients.

Fierce infighting further impacted the family, resulting in an expensive lawsuit and settlement shortly before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The combination of the legal costs and the failed harvest in 2023 caused the company’s cans to disappear from supermarkets and its own stores. The Grabers had already stopped selling olives to brokers who distributed them internationally after poor harvests in 2021 and 2022.

“We barely had enough to make it through [2021 and 2022],” Graber said. “We were having a real hard time keeping up. This was something we knew was a slippery slope.”

Now, she fears the end might come when a $1.55 (€1.51) million emergency loan, on top of the thousands of dollars owed in past-due bills and expired licenses, comes due in March.

In a last-ditch effort to save the brand, the Grabers are selling the cannery for $3 (€2.9) million. They hope to pay off the debt and use some of the remaining money to lease the property and keep producing.

“People all over the world have enjoyed Graber olives,” co-owner Cliff Graber told The New York Times. “Right now, we are ready to get going. We’re looking forward to the next olive season, and we’re ready to rock.”

• The New York Times
• Redlands Daily Facts