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A recap of the Executive Director’s visit to Portugal
IOC Executive Director Jaime Lillo travelled to Portugal from 9 to 11 September to meet the country’s newly appointed Minister for Agriculture, José Manuel Fernandes, as well as representatives from the University of Évora and the Portuguese olive oil sector. The mission aimed to bring the IOC, the world’s only intergovernmental organisation dedicated to olive oil and table olives, closer to this key producing country.
Minister Fernandes welcomed the IOC delegation, composed of Jaime Lillo and Juan Antonio Polo, Head of the Olive Oil Technology and Environment Department, at the Ministry of Agriculture in Lisbon on 9 September. The discussions focused on the challenges facing the sector, particularly regarding water resources, and on potential cooperation to adapt and enhance Portugal’s olive oil production. Lillo took the opportunity to invite the Minister to the upcoming celebration of World Olive Day in November and expressed his intention to hold the session of the Council of Members scheduled for June 2026 in Portugal, which was warmly received by Minister Fernandes.
The IOC representatives then participated in a series of technical visits organised by the association Olivum, accompanied by Portuguese members of the IOC’s Advisory Committee and other relevant stakeholders (10–11 September). These included Herdade do Figueirinha in Beja, where a comprehensive project for composting olive by-products was presented; “Olibest” in Serpa, a state-of-the-art facility integrating the entire value chain from agronomic support to production and marketing; and “Grupo DePrado” in Vendinha, the world’s largest private olive oil producer, featuring cutting-edge technology and the highest industrial capacity in the sector. Finally, at Edia in Beja, discussions centred on the impact of the Alqueva irrigation project and the URSA initiative, which aims to promote a circular economy by valorising agricultural by-products.
The IOC also met with the Rector of the University of Évora, Herminia Vasconcelos, as well as other representatives of the University, with whom it will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions. The IOC is also considering providing institutional support to the University’s Master’s in Olive Oil Technology.
