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The International Olive Council (IOC) hosted a presentation of the second edition of the Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC) at its headquarters in Madrid on 4 February 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen the event’s international dimension and promote dialogue between olive oil producing and consuming countries.
The event was addressed to members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Spain, with participation from representatives of Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, the United States and Uruguay. Their presence reflects the growing international interest in the OOWC as a global forum for the olive oil sector.
The second edition of the Olive Oil World Congress will take place on 2–3 July 2026 at the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon (Portugal). Conceived as a biennial event, the Congress brings together all actors along the olive oil value chain — from production and research to distribution, gastronomy and policy — to address shared challenges and opportunities.
The Executive Director of the IOC, Jaime Lillo, welcomed the Congress as “a unique occasion to bring together the countries that produce around 95% of the world’s olive oil, alongside experts, industry and consumers, to exchange knowledge and shape the future of the sector.”
Ricardo Migueláñez, OOWC General Coordinator, also took part in the presentation, highlighting the collaborative nature of the initiative, which is supported by a broad alliance of public and private partners — including the Ministries of Agriculture of Spain and Portugal and CIHEAM — all working together to promote the future of the olive oil sector.
The IOC has granted its patronage to the 2026 World Olive Oil Congress and is contributing actively to its development, including through cooperation on the technical programme and the selection of expert speakers.
The programme will feature high-level scientific, technical and business sessions and is being developed in close coordination with the international community, reinforcing the OOWC’s role as a shared space for cooperation, innovation and excellence in the olive oil sector.
