Competition for olive oil intensifies

Global demand for olive oil is growing in a market marked by the dominance of Italian and Spanish giants and the strong entry in recent years of new olive producers such as Argentina and New Zealand. To carve out a prime position and improve its standing in this buoyant market, the Mediterranean Network of Olive Oil Cities, representing more than 15 Mediterranean olive-growing countries, took stock during its first meeting on 16 April in Meknes of the best promotion strategies, current olive oil subsidies in major Mediterranean olive-growing countries, support for olive oil promotion, consumer education, tourism/olive oil promotion, etc. And there is good reason to do so."The current increase in olive oil production and the strengthening of global interest in olive products have prompted a large number of countries to deploy special efforts to improve production, which has placed the ol…