The Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC) took part in the “1st International Symposium on Olive Oil in Brazil – ‘Olive Oil and Health’”, held at the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB). Organised by the OOWC itself, together with the Brazilian Association of Olive Oil Producers, Importers and Traders (OLIVA) and Casa do Azeite (Portugal), and sponsored by the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional, Gallo and Filippo Berio, the event brought together leading researchers, health professionals, importers, distributors and chefs to underline that olive oil is much more than an ingredient: it is health, knowledge and market, connected on a global scale.
For Rita Bassi, president of OLIVA, “this is an important milestone for olive oil in Brazil. As its very name indicates, it is the first international symposium held in Brazil dedicated to the olive oil sector’s networks. It is a historic moment for our category,” and “the OOWC is working precisely in that direction: connecting scientific evidence with the reality of consumption and production, and strengthening the role of olive oil as a central element of a balanced and sustainable diet.”
During the event, Ricardo Migueláñez, general coordinator of the OOWC, presented the project being developed for 2026, which will take place in Lisbon, highlighting its international vocation and the aim of weaving a global network that brings together science, industry and gastronomy.
OOWC 2026 represents a strategic opportunity for Brazil to strengthen its presence in the olive oil sector, to turn knowledge into business and to deepen its collaboration with Portugal.
For Migueláñez, “the future Mercosur agreement opens a channel to intensify trade exchanges, including olive oil, between Europe and Brazil; this is why meetings like this are essential to showcase the real potential that olive oil offers for health".
The day offered a global overview of the olive oil market, presented by María Juárez, Head of the Economics and Promotion Unit of the International Olive Council (IOC). This was followed by a scientific lecture by Dr Miguel Ángel Martínez (Harvard University, USA) on the Mediterranean diet and its effects on public health.
The round table on quality and authenticity, and the challenges faced by the value chain in the context of globalisation, featured the participation of Dr Andrea Romanos (Harvard, USA), Dr Ramón Estruch (University of Barcelona), Dr Áureo Augusto Delgado (Brazil) and Mariana Del Bosco (ABESO Brazil).
In the afternoon, Teresa Pérez (Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional) delved into the physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of the product, while Mariana Matos (Casa do Azeite, Portugal) explained the factors of excellence “from the olive to the bottle”.
With its participation in this event, the Olive Oil World Congress reinforced its role as an international benchmark platform for promoting collaboration, innovation and knowledge exchange among the main stakeholders in the sector. Thus, the OOWC is consolidating itself as a meeting point where science, health and gastronomy converge, paving the way for its next major edition in 2026, which will once again bring together the global olive community under a single objective: to make olive oil the common language of health and sustainability.
To date, the OOWC has the support, for its organisation, of institutions such as the International Olive Council (IOC), CIHEAM, the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, and various public and private entities, such as the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, with its brand Campo y Alma; SOM Gastronomia of the Government of Catalonia; the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, through “Alimentos de España”; the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture and the Sea; and the Madrid Institute for Rural, Agricultural and Food Research and Development (Imidra), as institutional sponsors. In the private sphere, the congress is supported by AgroBank, GEA, the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional, Gallo and Filippo Berio.
Anyone interested in taking part can obtain information from the OOWC Technical Secretariat by calling +34 917217929 or sending an e-mail to info@oliveoilwc.com
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