In the USA for two months, Greek Liquid Gold has been introducing olive oil to North Americans in various settings. While most Americans know little about Greek olive oil, many are interested in tasting it, and in learning more about this key component of the healthy Mediterranean diet. From the olive oil sector to universities, collaboration flourishes.
Princeton University faculty, administrators, dining staff, students, and alumni as well as American and Canadian experts, philanthropists, and olive oil importers have responded to outreach about this healthy, flavorful liquid gold with appreciation.
Americans at Princeton are surprised to meet a graduate who writes about Greek olive oil, but even at reunions, they were full of questions. (What can you tell me about olive oil in two minutes? What kind of olive oil should I buy? ) Members of a vegetarian co-op warmly welcomed a donation of Greek olive oil for their reunion brunch. The director of a Greek-American philanthropic organization discussed ways volunteers might assist Greek olive farmers at harvest time.
At a lively brainstorming session about what Princeton University could do with olive oil, ten members of the faculty, staff, and administration from six offices and programs joined Greek Liquid Gold and the Executive Director of the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA). Reflecting on the importance of reaching out to students, NAOOA director Joseph R. Profaci emphasized the value of education. Generally, “when Americans make a choice to eat something more healthy instead of something less healthy, they don’t go back.”
Brainstorming with Greek Liquid Gold in America
Brainstorming yielded many suggestions for events and classes at Princeton (or elsewhere):
- Olive oil tastings
- Making food with olive oil
- Guest speaker presentations
- An olive-oil-rich menu in dining halls
- Incorporating olive oil in classes about food
- A “new harvest” experience featuring fresh olive oils
- Involving alumni, community members, and staff in education
- A formal dinner with a guest chef who develops new olive-oil-rich recipes
- A winter session course including lectures, training, and hands-on activities
- Brief talks by faculty examining olive oil from the perspectives of several disciplines
- Considering the science, archaeology, history, culture, and economics of olive oil and its production
The Princeton Food Project and the Hellenic Studies program will explore ways to incorporate olive oil into their courses, assignments, and activities. Campus Dining is working with Greek Liquid Gold on a Summer Research Program event with students that will include education, tasting, and food preparation. Campus Dining is also considering themed meals and happenings focused on olive oil in the next academic year. Princeton may benefit from the experience of other universities with impressive olive oil initiatives, as faculty and staff have offered support.
Princeton University’s Council on Science and Technology is planning an event or short course focused on the “everyday science” of olive oil for the next winter session. Faculty from various departments, initiatives, and offices will be invited to contribute their expertise on such topics as the chemistry and physics of olive oil, the difference between extra virgin and other olive oils, environmentally sustainable aspects of olive growing, and olive oil’s roots in mythology and ancient Greece. As with the Council’s “Brainy Bites” episodes on chocolate and kimchi, the goal is to couple short scientific presentations with hands-on experiences and tastings–this time in the context of the Mediterranean diet.
Collaborations to bring the Mediterranean’s liquid gold to North America
In addition, Greek Liquid Gold is beginning a collaboration with Asteri Foods, a Canadian company that is dedicated to supporting Greek producers of traditional products. As their website indicates, “Asteri Foods is committed to bringing the authentic flavors of the Mediterranean to North America, connecting premium products with passionate consumers through trusted partnerships, sustainable practices, and a celebration of Greek culinary heritage. We are committed to celebrating the Mediterranean way of life while driving sustainable brand growth.”
Asteri Foods helps companies import, launch, grow, and scale Mediterranean brands in North America, navigating import regulations, managing various sales channels, and offering supply chain, warehousing, distribution, and marketing solutions. For example, Asteri Foods is partnering with Areti at Vendema to bring their premium Greek extra virgin olive oils to the expanding markets of the U.S. and Canada. As their North American partner, Asteri Foods will facilitate a successful launch in both retail and e-commerce channels. They use a contemporary go-to-market strategy to address the increasing demand for high-quality, traceable Mediterranean products. Other interested Greek companies are welcome to contact Kris Giannakos at info@asterifoods.com for more information.
Helping small-scale farmers handle import bureaucracy
In New York City, Greek Liquid Gold met with a Women in Olive Oil member, Beatrice Karp, who created the Bea Olive Oil brand to help small-scale farmers sell their olive oil in the USA. Bea turned to olive oil after an unusual journey. Graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society, she expected to begin a career in corporate America. However, Bea deferred her corporate job for a year to travel and work abroad. After assisting on an Italian farm one summer, she returned to help older farmers with their olive harvest in the autumn. She was deeply troubled to hear that the amazing flavors of their olive oil could not reach consumers who would treasure it—not even in Italian cities, let alone in the USA. Small-time farmers could neither manage the logistics on their own nor afford to pay the thousands of dollars typically charged for assistance with the FDA approval process.
An internship with a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur gave Bea the confidence to venture into the unfamiliar territory of FDA regulations and import bureaucracy, discovering all she needed to know to enable Italian villagers to bring their products to the USA under a new brand. She realized “building a business is a series of problems and solutions,” and after ten months’ employment by a company, she turned to tackling the problems of small-scale olive oil imports. Bea is now helping some of the farmers she met earn fair pay for their labor. She pitches in alongside the farmers whose olive oil she sells, helping to harvest their olives, importing their oil, and packing boxes for shipment around the USA.
Supporting Greek olive farmers
Bea plans to expand her brand to include more Italian farmers, and perhaps eventually Greek farmers as well. In the near future, Greek Liquid Gold is planning to cooperate with Bea on a webinar for small-scale Greek olive farmers who would like to hear about her experience and learn about getting FDA approval for imports to the USA. Bea believes “if anyone is in the business for the right reasons, they have no problem helping someone else. The entire point of the brand is to redirect demand to honest small batch farmers and cultivate abandoned groves.”
As explained to many Americans, greekliquidgold.com was created to help Greek olive farmers get the recognition and fair pay their effort and dedication deserve. This makes collaboration with those dedicated to high quality, sustainable food production and consumption a natural step, both in the olive oil sector and at American universities.
Thanks to Asteri Foods for the photo of the people enjoying food at an outdoor table, and to Beatrice Karp for the photo of her in the tree.
All businesses, organizations, and competitions involved with Greek olive oil, the Mediterranean diet, and/or agrotourism or food tourism in Greece, as well as others interested in supporting Greeks working in these sectors, are invited to consider the advertising opportunities on the Greek Liquid Gold: Authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil website. The only wide-ranging English-language site focused on news and information from the Greek olive oil world, it has helped companies reach consumers in more than 220 countries around the globe since 2016.
