Challenges, opportunities and the strategic direction of the olive oil sector I speak on this subject with my feet firmly on the ground – quite literally. I am talking about Trás-osMontes. A region that for centuries has cultivated olive trees not as a business, but as an intrinsic part of its identity, its landscape and its way of being in the world. It was precisely this region, this light and this soil that brought me here and which lie at the heart of Acushla. Over 20 years ago, following a long and demanding process of studying the regions with the greatest potential for olive cultivation in Portugal, I found in Lodões, in the heart of Vila Flor, the right place to produce an olive oil of the highest quality. Quinta do Prado, with its approximately 300 hectares – comprising 215 hectares of new olive groves and 14 hectares of century-old olive groves – has become my life’s work. With over 100 international awards, won at competitions in Japan, China, the USA, Switzerland, the UK, Italy, Spain, Israel, Argentina and other countries, I can say that the effort has been well worth it. But it would be dishonest of me to stop at simply celebrating, because the challenges facing this sector are real, profound and urgent. A region with a unique olive-growing identity Trás-os-Montes is not merely a region that produces olive oil. It is a unique olive-growing ecosystem, shaped by centuries of coexistence between humans and the olive tree. The native varieties of this region – Cobrançosa, Madural, Verdeal and Cordovil – are found nowhere else in the world with the same character, concentration and genetic purity. These are varieties that have stood the test of time, adapted to the harsh climate of the north-eastern interior, and produced olive oil when there was no technology to assist them. They are, in themselves, a living heritage. The traditional Trás-os-Montes olive grove is also a landscape. Centuries-old olive trees of generous stature, planted on terraces and slopes that no machine can work with ease. An olive grove that demands a human presence, skilled labour and knowledge accumulated over generations. It is not an industrial production site; it is an inhabited territory, with history and soul. Two models, two approaches, one country Portuguese olive cultivation is today characterised by a wide diversity of production models, and this is a treasure that we must learn to interpret correctly. The significant growth of intensive irrigated olive groves in the south of the country, with highdensity hedgerow cultivation, advanced mechanisation and high productivity per hectare, was a leap towards modernisation that put Portugal on the map of the world’s major producers, making us the fifth-largest global producer and the third-largest European exporter. This growth deserves recognition. However, it is important that the market and public policies also recognise the reality and costs of the Trás-os-Montes model. The rugged terrain, the poor and stony soil, the small and mediumsized landholdings, the lack of large-scale irrigation and the reliance on a harvest with a higher proportion of manual labour mean that the cost of producing a litre of olive oil in Trás-os-Montes is structurally higher. This is not a sign of inefficiency; it is the price paid for preserving a model that holds irreplaceable environmental, cultural and territorial value. The challenge lies in ensuring that this value is adequately remunerated by the market and recognised by policies supporting the sector. The quality this region produces, which deserves to be celebrated Despite all the structural constraints, Trás-os-Montes regularly produces olive oils of exceptional quality, 74 CULTIVAR ANALYSIS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDIES No. 35 Olive groves and olive oil
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