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With the aim of strengthening ties with one of the most significant consumer countries of olive oil
IOC representatives Jaime Lillo, Executive Director, and Dr Mercedes Fernández, Head of the Standardization and Research Unit, participated in the event “Olive oil and the American table: Dialogues on the future” on April 9, 2024, in Napa Valley, California. This event was part of a collaborative initiative with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the IOC’s strategic partner in the USA. The cooperation between both institutions, spanning over the last 4 years, is aimed at strengthening the ties between the IOC and the US.
The goal of the first session entitled “A vision for the Future: Meeting our challenges, Leveraging Opportunities” was to highlight the benefits and opportunities for the US if it became a member of the IOC. Lillo presented the IOC’s activities and objectives, in particular relating to standardization, quality, health and olive oil tasting. Part of the objectives under the agreement signed between the IOC and the CIA are to continue to disseminate scientific information, in particular on IOC standards and the physico-chemical, organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of olive products; to encourage sustainability, technology transfer, research, education, harmonization and dissemination of information on the importance of olive oil and its impact on society; and to increase and improve technical knowledge about olive oil and quality through culinary influencers in the US.
After an enriching debate, a delightful lunch was arranged, featuring a menu showcasing dishes crafted with award-winning oils from the 2023 Mario Solinas Quality Award. These dishes were prepared by two esteemed chefs known for their expertise in utilizing and pairing olive oils. Dr Fernández also led a tasting session during which participants had the opportunity to taste the 2024 award-winning olive oils of the Mario Solinas Quality Award, all of which were tasted in line with the IOC’s method for the organoleptic assessment of virgin olive oil (COI/T.20/Doc. No 15).
In the margins of the mission, the IOC officials also participated in several technical visits to the Olive Center UC Davis and local Californian producers. They also held an insightful meeting with Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
The Napa Valley event was the result of the meetings and events held in April 2023 in California and in October 2023 in Washington DC. On both occasions, sector stakeholders and representatives from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) suggested that the IOC organize a meeting in California with US producers.
