The OOWC Confirms 80% of Its Programme

The countdown has begun. The Olive Oil World Congress 2026 has released the first draft of its scientific programme, and Lisbon is preparing to become the global capital of olive oil knowledge. On July 2 and 3, 2026, the Centro Cultural de Belém will host an international congress bringing together researchers, authorities and industry leaders around a programme of the highest scientific level.

The block dedicated to Genetics and Olive Growing will feature the lecture “Smart farming in the olive oil sector: AI, drones and data”, delivered by Rosa Gallardo (UCO), and “Plant Phenotyping Technologies for Olive Breeding and Climate Resilience: Innovations, Insights, and Impacts”, presented by Georgios Koubouris (Elgo Dimitra).

The impact of climate change will be addressed in the round table “Olive cultivation under threat from climate change”, with the participation of Carla Inês (INIAV–Elvas) and Antonio Manzaneda (University of Jaén).

Quality and Food Safety will play a prominent role with the lecture “Olive Oil Standardisation: Olive oil quality and authenticity”, presented by Wenceslao Moreda (CSIC), as well as “International harmonization of standards and analysis methods”, delivered by Roberto Silva (LATU, Uruguay).

The Sensory Analysis block will include the round table “Latest advances in VOO sensory analysis”, featuring Plácido Pascual (Regional Government of Andalusia), Susana Mattar (CUYO University), Asma Ben Maimoun (Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Forests of Morocco), Ana Carrilho (University of Lisbon), Efi Christopoulou (Sevitel), and Tullia Gallina Toschi (University of Bologna).

In addition, the lectures “Training of VOO tasting panels and harmonisation”, delivered by Plácido Pascual, and “From expert panel to hedonistic tasting: sensory properties and quality of EVOO”, presented by Susana Mattar, will also be held.

The Bioeconomy and Sustainability block will feature “The voluntary carbon credit market: an opportunity to value the environmental service provided by olive groves in the face of climate change”, presented by Juan Antonio Polo (International Olive Council); “Developing skills for introducing circular business models and digital technologies in the olive oil sector: the role of Circolive project”, delivered by Karolina Brkic Bubola (Institute of Agriculture and Tourism of Croatia); and “The importance of recognising sustainability”, presented by Gonçalo Moreira (Olivum).

In the field of health, the scientific programme will include “The Mediterranean diet as an ally in people’s health”, with the participation of Miguel Ángel Martínez-González (UNAV), Rosa Lamuela-Raventós (UB) and Ramón Estruch (UB); “New scientific evidence on olive oil and health”; “Nutraceuticals and functional foods based on EVOO: capsules, polyphenol extracts, clinical applications”; and “Nutritional personalisation: EVOO in precision medicine and recommendations based on genomics and the microbiome”, presented by Cecilia Jiménez (CIMO).

The Trade, Consumption and Gastronomy block will address “Trends in international olive oil consumption”, with Juan Vilar (Strategic Consultant); “Role of gastronomy and chefs in consumer education”, with Rafael Tonón (Basque Culinary Center); “E-commerce and market digitalization + AI applications”; and “Production and consumption in China”, presented by He Dongping.

Finally, the Communication and Marketing block will include the lecture “Global branding strategies for EVOO”, delivered by Joseph R. Profaci (North American Olive Oil Association), and the round table “Communication as a tool for selling olive oil”, featuring Francisco Luís Mondragão-Rodrigues (IPPortalegre), Ayça Akça Uçkun (Olive Research Institute of Izmir) and institutional representatives.

With this preliminary programme, the Olive Oil World Congress 2026 strengthens its position as one of the leading international scientific forums dedicated to olive oil. For two days, Lisbon will become the epicentre of academic, technological and strategic debate in a sector that is key to the global market.

Haven’t registered yet?

Registration is now open, with an early-bird discount available until March 31. Those interested may register under the different participation categories, tailored to professionals, researchers, companies and institutions in the olive oil sector.

For its organisation, the OOWC is supported by institutions such as the International Olive Council (IOC), CIHEAM and the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, as well as various public and private entities, including the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha (Campo y Alma brand); SOM Gastronomía of the Government of Catalonia; the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Alimentos de España); the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture and Sea; and the Madrid Institute for Rural, Agricultural and Food Research and Development (IMIDRA), as institutional sponsors.

In the private sector, the Congress is supported by AgroBank, GEA, Kubota, Dazeite and Feria de Zaragoza through ENOMAQ.

Anyone interested in participating may obtain further information through the OOWC Technical Secretariat by calling +34 917 217 929 or emailing info@oliveoilwc.com.