Where Is the Olive Oil Sector Heading? Answers Between Strategy and Operations

The olive oil sector is entering a new phase. Following the recovery in production recorded in the 2024/25 marketing year, the market faces a scenario shaped by trends in consumption, geopolitical uncertainty, changes in international markets and the need to boost competitiveness in an increasingly challenging environment.

According to the International Olive Council (IOC), global production reached 3.57 million tonnes in the 2024/25 marketing year, 38 per cent more than the previous year. For the 2025/26 marketing year, the organisation forecasts 3.44 million tonnes, whilst consumption is set to continue growing to exceed 3.24 million. In this scenario, Spain will once again play a decisive role, with production estimated at around 1.4 million tonnes.

With the aim of shedding light on this future, Grupo Interóleo, sponsored by Grupo MIGASA, Sanitas and Caja Rural de Jaén, is organising a conference on 24 September at HO Ciudad de Jaén by Olivencia, entitled ‘The olive oil sector: from the present to the future. Between Strategy and Operations’, which will bring together leading national and international experts to analyse, beyond just prices, the global situation and how it may influence the evolution of the global olive oil market.

Attendance is free, subject to prior registration, and places are limited. Those interested can confirm their attendance by emailing eventos@agrifood.es.

The conference will begin with an official welcome from the chairman of Grupo Interóleo, Juan Gadeo, who has stated that “this conference aims to provide the sector with a comprehensive overview of the market, enabling us to carry out a forward-looking analysis of all the factors that may affect operators, but with a long-term perspective, so that we can plan the production and marketing structures needed to meet international demand, which accounts for 30 per cent of our sales”. He will be joined by María Naranjo, Director of the Agri-Food Industry at ICEX.

The programme will begin with an overview of the international landscape led by Brigadier General Víctor Bados, Director of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies, who will address geopolitics and its influence on the global economy. Trade tensions, tariff disputes and economic uncertainty are increasingly affecting the competitiveness of olive oil companies and their ability to consolidate their positions in foreign markets.

Next, Jaime Lillo, Executive Director of the International Olive Council (IOC), will provide an overview of the prospects for olive cultivation and olive oil worldwide, analysing trends in production and consumption, as well as the developments that will shape the sector in the coming years.

The focus will then shift to the United States, one of the main destinations for Spanish olive oil outside the European Union. During the 2024/25 marketing year, it imported 437,309 tonnes, 20.6 per cent more than the previous marketing year, and Spain remained its leading supplier, with 154,296 tonnes, accounting for approximately one-third of the total volume. Joseph R. Profaci, Chief Executive of the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA), will provide an in-depth analysis of this market, examining its current situation and the prospects for exporting companies in a trade environment marked by uncertainty.

The closing address will be delivered by Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, Regional Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Regional Government of Andalusia.

Aimed at producers, cooperatives, olive oil mills, traders, technical experts and companies in the sector, the conference aims to serve as a forum for sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences and providing tools to tackle current challenges with greater confidence and capitalise on future opportunities.