Market Challenges in Spanish Olive Groves

Two particular features have characterized the evolution of the global olive sector in recent years. On the one hand, world demand for olive oils stagnated during the last few seasons, after a notable expansion in consumption from the beginning of the 1990s until 2013–2014. This stagnation is mainly due to a decrease in the consumption of olive oils in the main producing countries, Spain, Italy, and Greece. On the other hand, we have witnessed the expansion of modern, intensive/super-intensive olive groves, which are much more competitive than traditional olive groves (the majority of which are in Spain).