The purchasing behavior of olive oil is not only conditioned by prices

The Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC), which will take place from June 26 to 28, 2024 at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) in Madrid, has in its first edition a block of lectures entitled 'Trade and consumption' in which prestigious national and international speakers will analyze one of the most researched topics by industry professionals.

For this purpose, the congress will count with the participation of Manuel Parras, Professor at the University of Jaén (UJA), who will carry out an 'Analysis of the consumption strategy in business development'. “The olive grove and olive oil sector, although it has taken giant steps, is still very production-oriented and not market-oriented. Producers must focus on the consumer, looking for brands that are ethical and provide added value in all aspects. Besides how important it is to consider purchasing behavior that is not only conditioned by prices, but also by factors such as health and the circular economy,” he says. 

This will be followed by a round table discussion entitled : Olive oil consumption in the world', which will be attended by David Valmorbida, president of the Australian Olive Oil Association; Joseph Profaci, executive director of the North American Olive Oil Association; Di Yang of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and Antonio Gallego, president of the Spanish Association of the Olive Oil Exporting Industry and Trade.

As Valmorbida explains, “the OOWC presents a unique opportunity to share ideas and challenges for the olive oil sector worldwide, taking into account the scarcity of raw material resulting in record prices”.

For Yang, despite sharp price fluctuations in recent years, “olive oil continues to play an important role in people's daily diets, especially in the Mediterranean region. It is therefore vital to bring the sector together and understand the consumption patterns of this very special product”.

Also during the day there will be a round table entitled Perspectives of the olive sector in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries', with the participation of Wafaa El Khoury, Chief of Service for Near East and North Africa and Europe and Central Asia in the Investment Center of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Ayça Akça, researcher at the Olive Research Institute of Izmir; Monji Msallem, researcher at the Olive Institute of Tunisia; and Sara Oulbi, researcher at the National Institute for Agricultural Research of Morocco.

For Akça, the OOWC is very important “because ideas to combat climate change may emerge. We can support each other across countries. Experts on the subject can exchange ideas among themselves. Thanks to the congress, we can learn about what is happening in the world”.

The congress will also feature experts of the stature of Ignacio Ballester, deputy director of MSC Spain, to speak on 'The best solution for olive oil. Transport in the world'.

The block will be closed by Yousra Antit, head of the Department of Olive Chemistry of the International Olive Council (IOC), who will give a presentation entitled 'Nutriscore and the IOC action plan'.

Do it now! Register

The OOWC reminds those interested in attending the congress in any of its different modalities: general, student or half congress, with or without gala dinner, it is necessary to register through this link.

Under the slogan 'Taste it, enjoy it, it's olive oil', the OOWC counts on the collaboration of AgroBank, CIA - Agricoltori Italiani, FOOI, MSC, John Deere and the Junta de Andalucía through its brand 'Gusto del Sur' as Platinum sponsors; Grupo Interóleo, Yara International, GEA, AGQ Labs, Todolivo and Balam Agriculture as Gold sponsors; the company Kubota and SGS as Silver sponsors; and Agrocolor as other sponsors. Agrotec, Voz do Campo, Puglia Live, Grupo Joly and Oleo are the Media Partners of the OOWC.

Anyone interested in participating on the congress can obtain information from the OOWC Technical Secretariat by calling +34 91 721 79 29 or by sending an email to info@oliveoilwc.com