Focus on Spanish immigration and embrace life in Spain: Spain has 2.265 million hectares of olive groves, with an annual oil production exceeding 600,000 tons, accounting for approximately 40% of the world's total; 50% of this is exported worldwide. In terms of both production and export volume, Spanish olive oil firmly holds the world's top position.
Given this, shouldn't Spain rightfully be called the "Kingdom of Olive Oil"? Unfortunately, because of a desire for a modest short-term gain, the Spanish handed the crown of the "Kingdom of Olive Oil" over to the Italians. How did this happen? Let us start by talking about the "olive" itself.
In the Mediterranean region, the history of olive cultivation is very long, dating back to 4000 BC. The climate, characterized by warm winters, hot summers, and abundant sunshine, is highly suitable for olive growth; consequently, 95% of the world's olives are produced here.
Since the 1950s, as people have increasingly prioritized quality of life and healthy eating, olive oil, with its natural nutritional and health benefits, has attracted significant interest from consumers. According to scientific analysis, olive oil contains an abundance of oleic acid and linoleic acid, which are essential for the human body, offering higher nutritional value than any animal or vegetable oil, and is highly beneficial for preventing cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease. Therefore, despite its high price, this marvelous "liquid gold" has become a hit in the international market.
Adam Palmer, a chef at a British resort hotel: Olive oil is better than butter because it is a vegetable oil containing rich unsaturated substances, and it does not lead to arterial blockage the way cream and butter do.
Among all olive oils, the natural, extra virgin olive oil produced in the Andalusia region of Spain is undoubtedly the finest. It is made by taking fresh olives just picked from the trees and sending them directly into the press for the first extraction. Not only does this retain the richest, most fragrant aroma of the olive, but it also has a low acidity, making it delicious whether used for stir-frying, cold dishes, or other preparations.
Regrettably, for decades, such high-quality olive oil failed to establish its own famous brand in the international market. Why is this? The reason is simple: the Spanish never thought to establish a brand for it, instead selling it all in bulk to foreign countries; the primary buyer was Italy.
Bill Dring, Export Manager of the Spanish Olive Oil Association: We have already sold a large amount of bulk olive oil to Italy, especially to the northern regions. Although this is controversial, it is still beneficial to us because the Italians provide a sales outlet for our products and are willing to pay a high price for high-quality oil.
The Spanish inclination toward comfort helped the Italians achieve both fame and profit. The shrewd Italians repackaged this imported bulk olive oil into exquisite small bottles, applied their own brand labels, and, leveraging the reputation of Italian cuisine, promoted them worldwide. Not only did they reap enormous profits, but they also won the illustrious reputation of being the "Kingdom of Olive Oil."
Watching the Italians take full advantage, the Spanish could not help but feel a sense of loss.
Luis Badrolas, a Spanish olive oil producer: We can produce excellent olive oil that is unique among all oils. But the problem is that the price we get does not reflect its true value at all. The Italians import our oil, put it into bottles bearing their own trademarks, and sell it for double the price; consumers conversely think that their oil is better than ours.
Why not at least try to reclaim the market, profits, and reputation taken by the Italians? Increasingly, Spanish olive oil producers have begun to ponder this question. Meanwhile, a new situation has emerged that has raised their alarm:
Anne Donnamo, Olive Oil Expert: As the olive oil market continues to improve, many countries that have never grown olive trees have begun to join the industry. In Australia, about one million olive trees have been added each year over the past few years. There are also countries like those in Latin America, South America, and China.
Once considered a Mediterranean specialty, olives are now taking root all over the world; the Spanish deeply realize that if they do not establish their own brand, they will not only fail to break free from Italian control and expand their own influence in the future, but they may even struggle to maintain existing revenue.
To establish their own international brand, an important task is to implement protected designation of origin (PDO). Because in major consumer markets like Europe and the United States, from high-end hotels to specialty oil stores, there is a strong focus on auditing the origin of products. If the origin is mentioned on the product trademark, it indicates: this is authentic olive oil from "Spain," possessing qualities incomparable to products from other regions; at the same time, the origin certificate tells consumers: this is a product recognized by the EU, fully meeting all quality indicators, so please consume with peace of mind.
After years of effort, seven olive oil brands have passed formal confirmation and obtained regional certificates of origin. They represent the newly awakened Spanish olive oil industry, which is galloping ahead into the international market. It is not too late to mend the fence. In Andalusia, the primary olive-growing region in Spain, a new landscape is unfolding before us:
The rolling hills are dotted with millions of newly planted olive saplings. These are the optimistic stakes that the local olive grove owners are placing on the future of the Spanish olive oil industry.