International seminar spotlights sensory diversity and market growth in EVOO
The Fundación del Olivar, with the patronage of the International Olive Council (IOC), staged an international seminar on 4 December 2025 at Terra Oleum in Mengíbar (Jaén) that highlighted the widening sensory palette and expanding markets for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). The one-day programme united producers, researchers and culinary professionals from Europe, the Mediterranean and key Southern Hemisphere emerging producers to examine how aroma and sensory profiling are shaping consumer recognition and trade opportunities.
IOC Deputy Executive Director Abderraouf Laajimi opened the seminar and took part in a roundtable on emerging markets, framing the discussion around recent economic trends in the global olive sector and the IOC’s role in fostering international cooperation and sustainable development. According to the original report, the IOC used the platform to underscore its continuing support for harmonisation and capacity building across producing regions.
A morning panel brought together market bodies and industry representatives, including the Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva Español and Korea’s Athena Oliva, alongside specialists from Brazil and Japan to map consumption trends and trade prospects. Industry data shows demand for EVOO is diversifying geographically, with notable growth in East Asia and the Southern Hemisphere as producers there invest in quality and consumer engagement. The IOC’s recent mission to Brazil was cited as evidence of that strategic push.
Scientific and sensory research took centre stage in the session “Exploring the International Diversity of EVOO”, led by Plácido Pascual Morales of the Agroalimentary Laboratory of Córdoba, a recognised IOC expert. Contributions streamed from research centres across Uruguay, Tunisia, Italy, Israel, Portugal, Slovenia and Croatia, demonstrating the breadth of methodologies now applied to aroma characterisation and cross‑regional sensory comparison. The session reiterated the importance of comparable testing frameworks to ensure results are meaningful for trade and quality assurance.
The seminar reinforced the link between robust sensory science and international standards. The IOC’s recent harmonisation workshop for tasting panels, which drew more than 120 panel leaders from 33 countries and used the IOC Panel platform for real‑time statistical analysis, was referenced as part of ongoing efforts to maintain credible, consistent sensory analysis worldwide. Such standardisation underpins consumer confidence and legitimate market access for producers.
Speakers and delegates also highlighted the role of genetic resource conservation and adaptation to climate change in safeguarding future sensory diversity. The IOC’s work on olive tree genetic resources and recognition of international germplasm banks was presented as a strategic complement to quality and sensory programmes, supporting resilience in the face of environmental pressures.
The event closed with an international showcooking session featuring chefs from Spain, Brazil and Korea, illustrating how EVOO’s aromatic range can be expressed in different culinary traditions and used to engage new consumers. According to the original report, the seminar served both to celebrate sensory diversity and to reaffirm the value of international collaboration, from laboratory benches to tasting rooms and kitchen tables, in advancing knowledge, quality and consumer appreciation of EVOO.