The National Olive Oil Congress will take place on May 17th in Valpaços, district of Vila Real, and will debate topics such as the price of olive oil, tourism in the sector and climate change, it was announced today.
The 2024 edition of the National Olive Oil Congress is organized by the Alentejo Olive Oil Studies and Promotion Center (CEPAAL), in partnership with the Valpaços City Council, and is part of the National Olive Oil Fair – Olivalpaços.
In a statement, the organization explained that the debate will take place in three panels that will address the topics: olive tourism/olitourism – a reality, price of olive oil: myths and taboos and, finally, climate change – the future today, in which speakers will participate nationals and internationals.
“The 7th edition of the National Olive Oil Congress will take place at a time when, since the beginning of this century, national olive oil production has more than quintupled and exports have already increased more than 12 times, having surpassed the threshold of 1,000 million of euros in 2023”, he highlighted.
According to data released on February 27 by Eurostat, the price of olive oil rose by 69% in Portugal in January, registering the highest year-on-year increase for the product, which on the European Union (EU) average increased by 50%.
According to data from the European statistical service, in the EU, the price of olive oil soared in the second half of 2023, with an inflationary peak of 51% in November, compared to the same month in 2022.
In December 2023, the year-on-year increase in the price of olive oil slowed slightly to 47% and accelerated again in January.
In January, the price of olive oil increased in all Member States.
The congress, which takes place in Valpaços, is an initiative that, according to the organization, aims to “contribute to the dynamization of the national olive and olive farming sector”, considered one of “the most important in the national economy”.
It aims to be a forum for “debate and clarification, a meeting point for professionals in the field and a source of knowledge sharing, with particular emphasis on the dissemination of technical information”.
The National Olive Growing Fair – Olivalpaços – will take place from the 17th to the 19th of May, being an event that takes place annually between the cities of Moura and Valpaços and which aims to be the “meeting point for national olive oil production”.
CEPAAL is a non-profit association based in Moura, founded in 1999 with the mission of valuing and promoting Alentejo olive oil in Portugal and the rest of the world.
Its members include 28 producers and 12 institutions linked to the olive and oil sector, including State bodies, municipalities and universities.
The association is responsible for organizing the Portuguese National Olive Oil Competition, integrated into the National Agricultural Fair, the Virgin Olive Oil Competition at the National Olive Oil Fair and the National Olive Oil Congress.
