The International Olive Council (IOC), the unique intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the olive sector, plays a key role as a world forum of discussion that connects the best experts to find the right solutions to the global challenges of the olive oil and table olives sector.
In this sense, the IOC, with its campaign in Australia, has sought to facilitate dialogue with key stakeholders including Australia, which is an emerging player in the global olive industry.
The IOC’s influence and activities help improve the scientific and technical knowledge of olive growing, olive oil production, and trade practices, benefiting Australian producers and stakeholders through the whole olive oil value chain.
Established in 1959 under the auspices of the United Nations, this intergovernmental organisation currently has 21 official members, representing 47 countries that account for more than 94 per cent of global olive oil production and plays a pivotal role in enhancing the development, standardisation, and regulation of olive oil and olive products internationally for more than 65 years.
The IOC’s various activities are designed to foster a sustainable, competitive, and transparent global
olive sector.
The world olive market is expanding, with production and consumption levels rising, and new import and consumption hubs are also growing, across several regions.
This international context requires the fostering of dialogues to meet challenges and leverage opportunities. The IOC’s vision for the future is based on three core pillars:
1) Sustainably producing more to address globalisation through facilitating trade, defending quality and authenticity standards, and protecting consumers.
2) Highlighting olive oil’s contribution to human health.
3) Emphasising its contribution to planetary health to guarantee the sector’s sustainability in a context of climate change. Appropriate training and increased awareness can lead to a balanced carbon cycle, safeguarding a healthier planet for future generations.
In fact, in terms of sustainability and environmental impact, olive oil production is rooted in sustainable agricultural practices.
Compared to other vegetable oils, olive oil production has a lower environmental impact (especially in terms of water usage, energy consumption, and overall carbon balance).
The IOC also acts to highlight the importance of olive oil as a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, which was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, moreover, it’s widely recognised not only for its overall health benefits, but also for its economic and social benefits.
Considered one of the pillars of the agricultural economy, the olive sector constitutes an important area of employment, as well as a key source
of income.
Challenges for the future of olive oil include adapting to climate change, improving quality, harmonising standards, and enhancing global marketing and consumer education.
In this context, The IOC is actively working on enhancing the resilience of olive cultivation, improving sustainability, and promoting the environmental benefits of olive oil, while acknowledging the significant challenges posed by climate change.
Key areas of the IOC’s vision
Standardisation and Regulation: The IOC works to establish and harmonise international standards for olive oil and table olives which aim to help ensure consumer confidence and product authenticity worldwide.
Promotion: The IOC actively promotes the health benefits of olive oil and table olives, positioning these products as a key element of the Mediterranean diet. It works to increase market demand by facilitating trade, fostering new markets, and encouraging awareness of olive products’ health, nutritional and environmental benefits. It also supports marketing campaigns and partnerships in various member countries.
Promotion of sustainable practices and new technological advances: The IOC is committed to promoting sustainable farming and production practices within the sector. This includes adopting Circular Economy 3R principles: reusing materials, recycling wastes, and reducing energy. The application of the green technologies in the olive oil industry, when the sustainable criteria are adequately fulfilled, helps achieve optimum production of olive oil and valorise the olive mill by-products.
These activities include encouraging environmentally friendly agricultural methods, efficient water use, and reducing carbon footprints, as the olive tree is well-known for its resilience in dry climates, improving cultivation techniques. As well as advancing new technologies for olive oil extraction and quality control.
The IOC, through its Olive Growing, Olive Oil Technology, and Environment Unit, is advancing sustainability in the olive sector by developing innovative tools and methodologies to address climate challenges.
This includes creating a methodology for calculating CO2 emissions and removals in olive groves, enabling a detailed understanding of their carbon balance.
A software tool is being designed to assess the carbon balance in olive orchards and set actionable targets for improvement, as well as defining metrics linked to agronomic techniques that facilitate the generation of carbon credits. Hence, the IOC is developing a tailored methodology and voluntary carbon credit scheme for olive orchards, to promote environmental accountability and incentivise. Sustainable management in the sector.
Statistical Data and Monitoring: The IOC provides reliable statistical data on global olive oil production, consumption, trade, and prices. These statistics are crucial for governments, industry stakeholders, and producers to understand market trends and make informed decisions.
Australian olive market in Australia
estimated to be around 19,000 tonnes per crop year, with more than 32,000 tonnes imported annually, 92 per cent of which come from European Union countries.
The country’s average consumption is approximately 48,000 tonnes, equating to a per capita consumption of 1.9 kilos.
According to the 2022 consumer research study in Australia, Australians are used to buying high quality products.
They support the idea of a healthy lifestyle and actions aimed at the perception of high-quality and healthy products, which protect the environment.
However, in Australia, although there is some awareness of the advantages of olives, surveys did not demonstrate good knowledge on basic questions about oils.
But it is good news that 57 per cent are sure that EVOO has the highest quality and 47 per cent believe that olive oils are healthier than the other seed oils. In difference with some other countries, there is no debate about fraud in the market.
This is why both authorities and consumers need to be made aware of these issues.
As part of the company’s ethos, this October the IOC brought its Dialogues of the Future campaign to Canberra.
The initiative aimed to connect non-IOC member countries, including olive oil and table olive producers, importers, and consumers, with the world’s only intergovernmental organisation dedicated to these
unique products.
The IOC’s visit to Australia also aligned with its ongoing promotional campaign launched in 2022.
During their time in Australia, the IOC executives engaged with key stakeholders in the olive oil industry, including a presentation by IOC executive director Jaime Lillo.
In his address, Lillo highlighted the main challenges facing the global olive sector, emphasising the importance of a collective approach to overcoming them.
He also outlined the numerous benefits Australia could gain by joining the IOC.
This visit offered a valuable opportunity for the Australian olive sector to gain insights into the industry’s challenges and explore the potential for growth through international cooperation.
There are currently several challenges facing the olive oil industry, but most predominately, climate change and health perceptions.
“Climate change is not only an issue in Australia, but I would say that it is a global challenge, both for crop adaptation of new temperatures and lack of rains on one hand, but also contribution to mitigation,” said Lillo.
“Olive trees are capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and olive oil has a positive CO2 balance.”
“Last year, there was a very short production in Mediterranean countries, particularly Spain, Italy, and Morocco and Tunisia, which are the highest producers.
“We need more production from different parts of the world.”
The IOC delegation’s mission also included a tour of Cobram Estate, a leading Australian olive oil producer, further cementing the connection between Australia and the global olive oil community.
The IOC has long been at the forefront of promoting olive oil’s many health benefits and culinary versatility.
Through this campaign, the organisation seeks to foster stronger engagement with the Australian olive industry, aiming to help local producers improve their practices and products.
By offering training and networking opportunities, the IOC also seeks to raise awareness about the sustainability and quality of olive oil, compared to other cooking oils.
The IOC’s over arching mission is to support global initiatives that advance the standardisation, quality, and knowledge of olive oil.
This includes providing scientific information on olive’s nutritional, health, and sensory properties.
The council’s efforts aim to inform both consumers and industry stakeholders while reinforcing the importance of adhering to the IOC’s quality standards.
The IOC aims to provide harmonised global olive oil standards, which in-turn is ultimately beneficial for member states, producers, traders, and consumers.
Moreover, the IOC wants to create a dialogue with Australian consumers and olive oil producers to suggest a new standardisation based on in-depth collaborative research.
“We see that there are different kinds of standards in Australia, and this is something perfectly fine,” said Lillo.
“Every country has their own right to take their own decisions based on the best available knowledge or interest.
“However, full harmonisation for international trade provides added value for all and is not in conflict with national specifics.”
A better harmonisation of international standards would allow traders, producers, and consumers to have the same definitions, same parameters in this more global world of olive oil.
“Our interest is not to impose or to convince, rather, we wish to have a discussion based on science,” said Lillo.
“What we truly provide is technical advice.”
The IOC aims to provide harmonised global olive oil standards, which in-turn is ultimately beneficial for member states, producers, traders, and consumers.
The IOC wants to ensure that any consumer will be guaranteed an authentic and positive experience when purchasing olive oil.
The oil must be right, according to the label so the consumers won’t be confused and misled.
The dissemination of olive oil production best practices and the increase of consumer awareness about the health and sustainable benefits of olive oil are of great importance to promote olive oil consumption culture.
The council’s role in setting and promoting quality standards has been instrumental in safeguarding
the reputation of olive oil in the global market.
As the olive oil industry continues to evolve, the IOC’s educational initiatives and campaigns, like Dialogues of the Future, play a vital role in shaping the future of the sector.
By fostering collaboration between producers, government bodies, and industry stakeholders, the IOC is continuing to help secure a sustainable and prosperous future for the olive oil industry worldwide.