This newsletter discusses olive oil's health benefits; significant increases in the olive oil market in China since 2001; IOC meetings about Xylella fastidiosa and a pilot nursery project; increased olive oil sales in countries including Australia, Brazil, China, Canada, and Japan; table olive trade; and EVOO producer prices, which have continued to increase in Spain and Italy but remain stable, and generally lowest, in Greece.
This newsletter explains that table olives strengthen immune systems with their probiotic microorganisms and offer antioxidants especially important to athletes, notes a 182% increase in table olive consumption worldwide since 1990, charts the olive consumption levels in a number of countries, discusses increased olive oil imports at the beginning of the current crop year, considers the table olive trade so far, and surveys olive oil producer prices during the crop year so far and over the past few years.
This article by Marilyn Harding describes an important development in the Greek olive oil industry today: "the highly coveted medicinal quality of olive oil that built a civilization and is helping to revive the modern Greek economy," with the help of some dedicated producers of ultra-healthy high phenolic extra virgin olive oil. (December 14, 2016)
"The International Olive Council (IOC) participated in the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22), which was held in Marrakech (Morocco) from 7 to 18 November 2016, and whereby the UN sought to adopt a framework for action against global warming." The IOC explained "how, through the adoption of appropriate agricultural practices, olive trees can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
Alice Alech writes, "Learning to appreciate olive oil at an early age is an advantage to young adults; it puts them on the right path towards a healthy lifestyle later on.... Research carried out in Greece on 190 high school students show that teenagers once they are made aware of the sensory properties, and the analysis of extra virgin olive oil can distinguish between extra virgin olive oil and defective oil. The results also showed that the young adults aged between 13 and 15 years old were able to recognize rancid and muddy sediment in olive oil." (November 28, 2016)
"The International Olive Council attended the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) to present research on sustainable olive oil production." (November 18, 2016)
The identification of olive cultivars according to the appearance of leaves and fruit is expected to serve as the basis for a phone app and contributions to a new international olive tree database. (November 4, 2016)
“[G]lobal experts warn the Mediterranean diet, prized for its health benefits, is losing so much ground to the fast food culture that the decline may be irreversible.” (July 11, 2016)
On May 20, 2016, the FDA announced the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods to reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease.”
"In the bloc’s latest short-term agricultural outlook report, E.U. experts said the poor harvest and low stocks will keep pressure on prices."
