Italian farmers against Tunisian olive oil

Italian farmers revolt against Tunisian olive oil

Dozens of inflatable boats surrounded a ship carrying Tunisian extra virgin olive oil when it arrived at the port of Civitavecchia, Italy. Farmers affiliated with the Coldiretti association were on board to express their concern. Meanwhile, thousands of olive growers gathered on the quayside shouting slogans calling for the protection of local production from foreign competition.

According to Coldiretti, the import of olive oil from countries outside the European Union, which will reach around 65 million liters in 2024, constitutes a direct threat to the local sector.

Commercial fraud in olive oil

In addition to the risks of commercial fraud and deception to consumers, these imports have caused a collapse in the prices of Italian virgin olive oil, forcing producers to sell at prices below the costs of

Tunisia, the leading exporter of this product, sells its olive oil for less than five euros per litre, while its Italian equivalent costs more than nine euros. This price difference makes any competition impossible without causing huge losses to Italian producers.

According to Coldiretti, the problem is aggravated by the fact that some importers re-sell foreign oil under an Italian label, thus maximising their profits to the detriment of transparency and quality. A situation which, beyond the harm to local consumers and producers, contributes to saturating the market with lower quality products.