IOC: more than 60 years of history in sixty seconds

The first international agreement was set up in Madrid, Spain, in 1959, under the auspices of the United Nations.

The International Olive Council is the world’s only international intergovernmental organisation in the field of olive oil and table olives.

The Council is a decisive player in contributing to the sustainable and responsible development of olive growing and it serves as a world forum for discussing policymaking issues and tackling present and future challenges. It does so by:

Encouraging international technical cooperation on research and development projects, training and the transfer of technology.
Encouraging the expansion of international trade in olive oil and table olives, drawing up and updating product trade standards and improving quality.
Enhancing the environmental impact of olive growing and the olive industry.
Promoting world consumption of olive oil and table olives through innovative campaigns and action plans.
Supplying clear, accurate information and statistics on the world olive and olive oil market.
Enabling government representatives and experts to meet regularly to discuss problems and concerns and to fix priorities for IOC action.
Working in close partnership with the private sector.

You can watch the IOC institutional video below and choose among the versions:
Arabic, French, English, Italian and Spanish.

Arabic version