18 CULTIVAR ANALYSIS AND PROSPECTS NOTEBOOKS No. 35 Olive groves and olive oil trade is now based on distinctive quality, innovation, sustainability and consumers’ growing willingness to recognise and pay for these attributes. Globalisation of demand and expansion into new consu mer markets The third major trend characterising the sector’s current landscape is the gradual expansion into non-traditional markets, particularly in Asia and the Americas. The United States remains the world’s leading importer, accounting for approximately 37 per cent of the global total, and has established itself as a strategic market for the main exporting countries. However, despite its significance in terms of volume, per capita consumption remains moderate: around 1.1 kg per person. In Japan and Brazil, this consumption barely reaches 0.4 kg per person, whilst in Canada it stands at around 1.2 kg. The case of China is particularly telling: with over 1.4 billion inhabitants, estimated consumption stands at around 53,000 tonnes, a figure that is still relatively low. These indicators show that, for the Although per capita consumption remains high in Mediterranean countries, the high price of the product, together with … the recent growth in demand stems mainly from non-traditional economies. time being, only the more affluent classes have access to olive oil, but they also highlight significant scope for changes in lifestyle, such as an increase in eating out and growing demand for fast food, are altering traditional consumption patterns in these markets. In this context, the recent dynamism in demand stems mainly from non-traditional economies. Figure 2 – Global distribution of olive oil imports Source: IOC 2026 Taken together, seven major markets (the United States, the European Union, Brazil, Japan, Canada, China and Australia) account for around 70 per cent of global imports, exceeding 880,000 tonnes in the 2024/25 marketing year, which highlights both the growing importance of non-Mediterranean destinations and the influence of shifts in global consumption on the structure of international trade. growth if dietary habits associated with the Mediterranean diet become more established and consumer education is strengthened. However, this international expansion has not been without difficulties. In recent years, the sector has faced tariff pressures and the imposition of regulatory barriers, particularly in the US market, one of the main destinations outside the European Union. These circumstances have forced European exporters to rethink their commercial strategies, stepping up the diversification of destinations and strengthening their competitive position in emerging markets. Figure 3 – Olive oil consumptionin kg per capitaper year Source: IOC 2026
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTgxOTE4Nw==