Share
As part of the inauguration of the World Olive Oil Exhibition (WOOE), the International Olive Council (IOC) and the Jaén Provincial Council have signed a collaboration agreement for the organisation of the 64th session of the IOC Advisory Committee, scheduled to take place on 13 May 2025 in the city of Úbeda.
The agreement was signed by Jaime Lillo, Executive Director of the IOC, and Francisco Reyes, President of the Jaén Provincial Council, in a ceremony highlighting the cooperation between the two institutions in strengthening the olive sector and fostering dialogue among key stakeholders in the olive oil and table olive industry.
On this occasion, Jaime Lillo stated:
“This collaboration will allow us to bring together the entire olive sector in May 2025 in Úbeda, a key producer region, to jointly address the challenges and opportunities of this crop, which produces the world’s healthiest and most sustainable vegetable oil calories.”
Francisco Reyes added:
“With the signing of this agreement today, the Provincial Council continues its close collaboration with the IOC, which in recent years has resulted in Jaén hosting meetings of this committee on multiple occasions. In addition, in 2022, the province was the venue for the meeting of the Council of Members and several of the IOC’s major events, including the Mario Solinas Quality Awards ceremony, all of which had the support of the Provincial Council.
The 64th meeting of the IOC Advisory Committee will take place just before Expoliva 2025, further strengthening Jaén’s position as the global epicentre of the olive oil sector and an ideal location for hosting major events.”
The Advisory Committee session will bring together private sector representatives from the 47 IOC member countries to discuss the current state of the sector, its challenges and possible support initiatives from the IOC. Additionally, representatives from observer countries such as the United States, Brazil, Peru, Japan and South Africa will attend. This meeting will serve as a key platform for exchanging ideas and developing strategies for the sector’s sustainable growth.
On 14 May, members of the Advisory Committee have been invited to attend the opening of Expoliva, one of the world’s most important trade fairs dedicated to the olive sector. Within this framework, the IOC, in collaboration with the Fundación del Olivar, will organise a scientific-technical symposium focusing on the sustainability of olive growing, addressing key topics such as innovation in production and the environmental impact of the sector.
The signing of this agreement further cements Jaén’s status as a global benchmark in the olive oil sector and underscores the IOC’s commitment to promoting initiatives that drive the industry’s growth worldwide.
The WOOE inauguration ceremony was attended by Jaime Lillo, along with other distinguished officials, including Ana Rodríguez Castaño, Secretary-General for Agricultural Resources and Food Security at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, who highlighted the economic and cultural importance of the olive sector to the Mediterranean region.
