This Manifesto brings together the scientific consensus on the benefits of extra virgin olive oil for human health and nutrition and calls on governments, international organisations and healthcare systems to integrate EVOO into their public health strategies for the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases
The Lisbon Manifesto, ‘Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Scientific Evidence for Global Health’, is a document that brings together the available scientific evidence on the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and calls for greater recognition of its role in a healthy diet. It was launched following the 2026 Olive Oil World Congress and has already gained the support of more than 60 organisations from 18 countries across four continents, including universities and research centres, institutions specialising in nutrition and health, agricultural organisations and bodies linked to the olive oil sector.
The document is underpinned by robust scientific evidence. The PREDIMED study linked a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to an approximate 30 per cent reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, whilst the EFSA recognises that its polyphenols help to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidative damage. The research also points to potential beneficial effects against certain chronic diseases.
Commitments and actions of member organisations
The signatories to this Lisbon Manifesto commit to working together in a coordinated and sustained manner to advance the following actions:
• Update dietary guidelines. Advocate the revision of national and international dietary guidelines to include specific, quantified recommendations on extra virgin olive oil consumption and recognise EVOO as a preferred source of healthy dietary fat.
• Fund scientific research. Promote increased funding for high-quality research into the effects of EVOO on human health, particularly in the fields of neuroprotection, cancer prevention, metabolic health and healthy longevity.
• Train healthcare professionals. Promote nutrition education and training for doctors, nurses, dietitians, nutritionists and pharmacists on the health benefits of EVOO and the quality criteria that influence its preventive and health-promoting potential.
• Ensure quality, authenticity and traceability. Support the development of robust control and traceability mechanisms to ensure that the olive oil supplied to consumers retains the bioactive compounds associated with its health benefits, with particular attention to polyphenol content.
• Integrate EVOO into health and care settings. Collaborate with public authorities to develop policies promoting EVOO consumption in hospitals, care homes, school canteens and primary care centres as an affordable, high-impact measure for supporting public health and disease prevention.
• Advance international cooperation. Strengthen collaboration among research centres, universities and public health bodies to accelerate the translation of scientific knowledge about EVOO into clinical practice, nutrition policies and chronic disease prevention strategies.
• Improve consumer communication. Develop rigorous, accessible and evidence-based communication and public awareness campaigns, ensuring that consumers have ready access to clear and comprehensible information through all appropriate channels, including product labelling.
• Develop inclusive communication strategies. Overcome cultural and geographical barriers by presenting EVOO as an accessible, adaptable and evidence-supported source of healthy fat. Public messaging should emphasise that EVOO can enhance dietary patterns from any culinary tradition, thereby supporting its recognition as a food of relevance to global health.
• Combat misinformation. Actively counter misinformation about dietary fats and olive oil by promoting public access to reliable scientific evidence and challenging unsubstantiated claims that may undermine public health or misrepresent the benefits of EVOO.
• Strengthen cooperation among signatories. Foster collaboration among the organisations endorsing this Manifesto and those that may join it in the future, particularly in scientific research and the effective dissemination of its findings.
Institutional Commitments
Each signatory undertakes to present this Manifesto to their respective governments, health systems, international organisations and competent authorities, with a view to promoting public policies and collaborative strategies that recognise EVOO as a valuable public health resource and facilitate its integration into healthcare systems and chronic disease prevention programmes.
The signatories further undertake to contribute to building an international scientific consensus on the value of extra virgin olive oil for human health and nutrition and to uphold quality, authenticity and research as the cornerstones of an olive oil value chain committed to health and well-being worldwide.
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