The global development of the olive sector will be the focus of the International Olive Council’s (IOC) annual meeting in Madrid, Spain, which begins in the second half of November.
In a series of events, including a plenary session of representatives of all 18 IOC members, the council will release its updated data about the ongoing trends in the sector, including production consumption and trade data for olive oil and table olives.
Starting November 22th, the 116th session of the IOC’s Council of Members will be held, with the specialized IOC committees meeting ahead of the plenary session that will take place on November 30th.
See Also:Olive Council Publishes Document ArchiveRepresentatives from Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia will also attend the meeting as observers. Both countries have applied to join the United Nations’ International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives 2015, paving the way to join the organization in the future.
Other observers during the 10 days of meetings and events include the United States, Sudan, Iraq and the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM).
CIHEAM is a long-term partner of IOC and has taken part in many initiatives and research projects related to olive growing in several countries.
Among the activities planned for November 23rd is the technology and environment committee meeting, which will discuss the latest research findings, report on the development of the IOC’s world olive variety catalog and continue with its Ph.D. scholarship and other programs.
On November 29th, local authorities in Jaén invited the IOC on a technical visit to the province, the world’s most significant olive oil-producing region.
In Jaén, the meeting of the IOC advisory committee, the plenary session and the Mario Solinas Quality Awards awards ceremony will also occur.
The IOC will also celebrate World Olive Day on December 1st. During the celebrations, a technical seminar will be held about the role of olive growing in terms of sustainability, quality and health.
One of the most awaited-for events will take place on December 2nd. As the IOC returns to its Madrid headquarters, a flag-raising ceremony will be held in honor of Uzbekistan, the latest member to join the IOC in August 2021.
While representing a challenging environment for olive growing, Uzbekistan already boasts several hundred hectares mainly focused on the local olive tree cultivar, Uzbek, which has shown high resilience to the cold winters experienced in the region.
Finally, the IOC annual event will host the inauguration of an olive grove from all the IOC member countries in the forecourt of the Organization’s headquarters. Guests will then be invited to taste Uzbek cuisine.
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