Rethink the shelf positioning of olive oil, no longer as a commodity but as a  premium product that contributes significantly to the health of Italians . The proposal comes from  Assitol , the Italian Association of the Olive Oil Industry, which sees in this critical moment the opportunity to recognize extra virgin olive oil its fair economic and health value.

“The scenario we face is, even for the next campaign,  extremely complicated – explains  Anna Cane, President of the Assitol olive oil group –. The reduction in the quantity of oil and the increase in prices give rise to fears that consumers will turn away from this product which, on the contrary, has occupied a place of honor on our tables for decades. But is it really just a cost problem or is it time to  change our way of considering extra virgin olive oil ?” .

THE BENEFITS OF EVO OIL

Olive oil is much more than just a condiment. Scientific research has attested to its nutritional and health benefits: its main protective function concerns the heart and the cardiovascular system, which defends against the onset of serious problems such as heart attack and stroke. If the Mediterranean diet is considered the healthiest and most sustainable in the world, it also owes it to the contribution of olive oil.

“Precisely because it ‘yields’ more, in terms of taste and well-being, and is therefore worth more, we must change our approach. This food, which has long been a victim of below-cost sales, has so far been paid for too little. For years the supply chain has worked at the limits of economic sustainability and has seen its margins compressed downwards. We cannot continue to treat it as a commodity. On the contrary, this  is the time to mark its difference  compared to other fats and condiments. We understand consumers struggling with the high cost of living, but as important representatives of the medical and research world have pointed out,  eating worse to save money means spending more in the future to repair the damage of poor nutrition” ,  explains Anna Cane.

COMMUNICATE THE VALUE OF EVO OIL

In recent days, even the Nadef, the update note of the economic and financial document, has underlined how  the weaker sections of the population could turn towards lower quality products to reduce the burden of price increases on the family budget, risking overweight and obesity. “We invite the institutions – relaunches the president of the olive oil group – to support us with a  communication campaign  on the importance of extra virgin olive oil  in our daily diet, to the benefit of our health and that of the supply chain”. 

In this phase, the olive oil world, in Italy and abroad, must assume specific responsibilities. “If we want to work on a  shelf positioning that is closer to the value of extra virgin olive oil , we must do it all together, involving operators from the field to the supermarket. We must act unitedly throughout the Mediterranean, where climate change is putting the major oil producers in crisis . ” In this sense, Anna Cane also invites us to “not forget the  need to work on the efficiency of production processes,  investing in the modernization of the sector and in sustainability to strengthen the competitiveness of the entire sector”.

FOOD