The value and unique characteristics of olives and olive oil have been acknowledged for centuries and are gaining even more prominence today. Cultivation of this noble fruit is concentrated in specific regions of the world, primarily in the countries bordering the shores of the Mediterranean. Turkey is one of those fortunate countries and is ranked as the world’s second biggest producer

Special report on the WOOE, with interviews. Madrid is hosting the sixth World Olive Oil Exhibition on March 29th and 30th. What is the latest news from the global olive oil industry? Here is the opinion of Luigi Caricato, executive director of Olio Officina: "Less than 4% of oil for human consumption in made from olives, so it is clear that there is enough space for every oil-producing country. We need to work together to promote its consumption"

The recent Olio Officina Festival gave the Italian audience the opportunity of getting a better view of the olive compartment in this North African country. Though endowed with a vast array of varieties that have adapted to its many environmental conditions, Tunisian oil production mostly relies on two cultivars: Chemlali, representing 70% of the olives employed, and Chetoui

The global consumption of table olives in recent years has multiplied by 2.7, increasing by 182.0% over the period 1990/91–2016/17

After four years, our international packaging contest is already bearing fruit. Below are the winners of all the competition categories: presentation packaging, Horeca and retail market packaging, and best label. Special awards for most innovative idea, best product line, originality of style, best collectibles, and social and educational value

Spain has increases its extra-EU exports of olive oil and olive pomace oil by 20% in the first 11 months of 2015/16 (October 2015-August 2016), compared to the previous crop year

Everything is ready for the fourth edition of the contest devoted to the packaging and labelling of olive oil. There is a great novelty this year: it is now possible to enter labels only, which will be judged separately in a distinct category. Quality, as we all know, lies not only in the content, but also in the container: its importance should be better acknowledged, and more attention should be paid to its aesthetics and functionality

We do not expect it to be a memorable harvest. Quite the opposite, and many farmers are rather concerned. The olive fruit fly has wreaked havoc all over Italy, from north to south. Yet, compared to the disastrous 2014 season, there is a greater degree of optimism, because at least nobody was caught unprepared

What is the outlook of the olive harvesting season in the Mediterranean countries? The estimates of a renowned international olive oil broker who operates on the Greek, Spanish, Tunisian, Turkish and Moroccan markets. There is still a lot of uncertainty regarding the overall amounts of available oil and the prospects of the key olive-producing countries

In response to the invitation from the Tunisian authorities, the 27th extraordinary session of the International Olive Council (IOC) will be held in Hammamet (Tunisia) from 11 to 16 July. Olive oil is a key export product given that more than 80 pc of local production is exported. Tunisia is the second exporter worldwide after the European Union

Cibus, the most important fair in the food and drink sector in Italy, was the occasion to present a new jewel in the crown for the Olitalia Group: the new “30” extra-virgin olive oil

The analysis of the market data for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 crop years and the changes with respect to the estimates released in November 2015

This month we will be focusing on olive cultivation in Iran, a country that is a Member of the International Olive Council since January 2004 and which will be hosting the 47th meeting of the IOC Advisory Committee on Olive Oil and Table Olives and a regional seminar on quality, marketing and biodiversity, both scheduled to take place in Tehran on 16 and 17 May 2016

The US has always tried to excel in every field. California now seems to want to replicate the success it had with wine. If this is the case, no doubt it will succeed. They are executing a well-laid strategy, and leaving nothing to chance. After breaking with the International Oil Council, the US intends to fight Europe’s hegemony. In this respect, Italian companies are particularly vulnerable, since they often find themselves under the eye of the anti-fraud units. In perspective, we, who have unwittingly been the most helpful in paving California’s road to success, will be the ones who will presumably lose the most.

World consumption of olive oil increased 1.8 fold in volume between 1990/00 and 2015/16. As can be seen from Chart 1, this upward movement has been located primarily in non-IOC member countries whose share of world consumption climbed from 11 pc to 24 pc between the start and end years of the reporting period. In 2015/16, the volume of olive oil consumed at world level looks set to be around 4.6 pc higher than in 2014/15