The 3rd World Olive Oil Exhibition ended with an increase of 20% in the number of participating buyers

The World Olive Oil Exhibition, the biggest Spanish trade fair exclusively devoted to the olive oil sector, closed its 3^rd edition with an increase of 20% in the number of participating companies, from 37 different countries. The WOOE is an event that targets a professional public, mainly international purchasers. During these two days, these buyers were able to discover, taste and do business with more than 100 participating oil mills from different areas and countries, such as Andalucía, Castilla- La Mancha, Extremadura, Galicia, Balearic Islands, Morocco, Tunisia or Turkey.

The World Olive Oil Exhibition is a business tool that fosters commercial transactions among professionals in the olive oil sector. One of the many successful aspects of the WOOE is to be able to attract some of the major international importers to each edition. On this occasion, the participating oil mills were able to establish relations with companies as important as Facilita or Wilmar International from China, Oliva International or Sri Roda Foods from India, or Sovena and Gemsa Oils from the United States, among many other companies.

Out of the many commercial transactions that were concluded during these two business days, the organizers have confirmed, among others, an order totaling 20 million liters.

Oil mills and worldwide purchasers are the real leading roles of this event mainly focused on business, although this is also a multidisciplinary exhibition, where attendees can find areas of interest such as:

The cycle of conferences and tasting sessions: it was the highlight of the World Olive Oil Exhibition due to the exceptionally high quality of the speakers and the talks, which were devised to generate discussion, reflection and new ideas for the sector. Jean Louis Barjol, Executive Director of the International Olive Council, launched the cycle with a conference on the “Perspectives on the olive oil trade with particular emphasis on emerging countries”. The conferences "An analysis of the Indian olive oil market", by Abdul Zain Khan, CEO and founder of Oliva International; "Olive pomace oil in emerging countries", by Joaquín López, director of Aneorujo (National association of the olive pomace oil companies); Tasting session on "the versatility of the variety cornicabra", carried out by Enrique García Tenorio, director of the Designation of Origin Montes de Toledo, were also particularly appreciated.
The complete program can be consulted HERE.

Olive Oil Bar: an area of open tasting sessions, where the attendees had the opportunity to taste more than 70 references of extra virgin olive oil. In this edition, the high quality of the samples needs to be emphasized, as well as the peculiarity of some of them, like the Brava, an indigenous olive from Galicia, or Siclos, a super-premium olive oil from Mallorca.

“Show Cooking”: the live cooking area, where chef Kike Piñeiro and his team, Eloy Cancela and Mark Wernink, have been in charge of creating delicious and innovative bites based on the “Liquid Gold” or EVOO.

• Vermouth with Olives
• Snack with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cream
• Bivalves with Bubbles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea-bass in Extra Virgin Olive Oil Marinade
• Mini-Burger with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Bread
• Beef Tataki with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Emulsion
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Fruits Jelly Beans
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil-filled Chocolates

“Delicatessen with Olive Oil”: more than 40 companies have been participating displaying a vast range of beauty products and gourmet groceries that use olive oils.

WHAT THE PROTAGONISTS SAY:

“The increase in olive oil exports that we are experiencing in the last years makes exhibitions like this one attain a key role and they become an incentive to all producers. On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, we reiterate our unconditional support to olive oil, an essential product of our gastronomy, and we would like to remind you the measure taken to ban refillable oil cruets in restaurants and bars. Moreover, with measures such as this one, we would like to promote the excellent quality of our olive oil, especially for tourists who visit Spain and who will be able to differentiate olive oil flavors and therefore to ask for good olive oil in their countries. The World Olive Oil Exhibition can always count on the Ministry of Agriculture to support its objective of improving and praising a product as important as olive oil”

Fernando J. Burgaz Moreno, executive director for the Food Industry of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

“The World Olive Oil Exhibition is a trade meeting conceived to facilitate contacts between producers and olive oil purchasers from main international markets. Since its start, the WOOE has tried to increase the sector’s international visibility, as well as the number of commercial exchanges and its profitability”

Santiago Botas, director of the World Olive Oil Exhibition.

“We participated in the World Olive Oil Exhibition for the first time and our goal is to support the producing and commercializing companies from Jaen. We are part of a region that produces between 20% and 22% of international olive oil production, and exhibitions focused on business and international exchanges like this one are essential. We could not miss this event: not only supporting our producers, but also representing Degusta Jaén, the area where there are 30 food and agriculture companies that work with olive oil”

María Angustias Velasco Valenzuela, regional Agriculture, Livestock and Environment deputy of Jaen.