Olive Oil from Spain: A New Fashion, A New Era of Flavor, Health, and Elegance

In the first half of 2022, exports of Spain’s Olive Oils to the asian giant grew by 46% in value, reaching 76 million euros.

To enhance the ascension of Spanish Olive Oil as China’s Most Precious Object of Desire, outstandingly brilliant Spanish fashion photographer, film producer and director Eugenio Recuenco has created a delightful theme that exudes refinement and sophistication, specifically designed to further penetrate China’s rapidly growing and highly demanding Gourmet Luxury market.

A precious, enriching and highly successful exploration to further enhance the intangible unity and magical fusion between Spanish Gastronomy & Fashion with Chinese Culture & Tradition.

A perfect frame in which all the elements coexist in harmonic coherence, a wonderful set of scenes to showcase a product of extraordinary quality where the divine properties of exquisite taste, sustainability, well-being and health dance together like the finest perfume on air.

Spanish Olive Oil, making Golden Waves in China

Under the evocative unprecedented campaign that blends Gastronomy, Health and Haute Couture, «Olive Oils from Spain», The Interprofessional Association of Spanish Olive Oil, unveils its most ambitious promotional initiative to date, setting out to redefine olive oil as a trendsetting, sustainable, and health-conscious culinary essential.

Bringing his unique artistry to the table, Eugenio Recuenco, one of the world’s most celebrated Spanish photographers, boasts his unique creative vision fusing fusing tradition with modernity in a striking visual narrative.

The campaign’s grand unveiling in Shanghai captivated Chinese media, not only showcasing the exquisite flavors of Spanish Olive Oil but also highlighting its health benefits and how seamlessly it integrates into Chinese local cuisine.

As a testament to the Chinese increasing love for Spain’s liquid gold, exports of Spanish Olive Oil to China have soared, rising 46% in value and reaching an impressive 76 million euros in just the first half of 2022.

This campaign is Spain’s delightful invitation to China to embrace Spanish Olive Oil as a symbol of taste, well-being, and sophistication.

Spain: The World’s Leading Olive Oil Producer

Spain proudly holds the title of the largest olive oil producer on the planet, accounting for nearly 50% of global production.

This means that one in every two bottles of olive oil worldwide contains Spanish olive oil.

With 25% of the world’s olive-growing land and over 200 native olive varieties,

Spain offers an unparalleled diversity of flavors and aromas,

reinforcing its position as the true home of liquid gold.

To elevate the global prestige of Spanish Olive Oil and its Designation of Origin, the Interprofessional Association of Spanish Olive Oils is committed to continuous promotion, innovation, and strategic investment in R&D programs.

This relentless effort ensures that Spanish olive oil remains a symbol of Mediterranean excellence.

Bringing together key stakeholders—including olive growers, cooperatives, industrialists, packaging companies, and exporters—the association plays a pivotal role in expanding Spain’s footprint in the international market.

Since 2008, around 300 promotional campaigns across 20 countries and four continents have fueled an extraordinary surge in Spanish Olive Oil exports.

These initiatives have enhanced global awareness exponentially, improved consumer perception, and solidified Spain’s reputation as the world’s premier source of exceptional olive oils.

Asia & Europe, China & Spain

The Best Is Yet to Come

China has firmly established itself as the second most important strategic destination for Spanish agri-food exports outside the European Union, surpassed only by the UK. As one of the world’s fastest-growing markets, China holds immense potential for Spanish food and beverage companies, with olive oil standing out as one of the most promising and high-value products.

In 2023, China once again opened its doors to the world, emerging with renewed energy and ambition after two years of strict restrictions and a deep restructuring of its economic policies. While these measures were challenging, they have laid the foundation for China’s continued rise toward becoming the world’s leading economic and technological powerhouse.

The historical ties between Spain and China date back to the 16th century, when the two nations were first connected through the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Over the centuries, diplomatic, economic, and trade relations have flourished, culminating in a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that marks its 50th anniversary in 2023.

As China’s Renaissance continues to unfold, Europe is poised to play a pivotal role as a key strategic and economic partner. Over the next decade, EU-China trade relations are set to reach unprecedented levels of cooperation and mutual growth, unlocking new opportunities for businesses and industries on both sides.

Delicious Sustained Growth

of Spain’s Olive Oil

Sales & Exports to China

Sales of olive oils from Spain in the 2021-2022 campaign in China grew by 10,25% in volume, reaching 45,840 tons, while in value they shot up 48.08%, to close to 177 million euros , according to Chinese customs data corresponding to imports in the first nine months of 2022, analyzed by the Interprofessional of Spanish Olive Oils.

The President of the Interprofessional, Pedro Barato, has welcomed the data recorded in the Asian country. «In the last campaign we exported almost 46,000 tons of olive oil to the Asian giant, 10.25% more than the previous campaign. To give us a precise idea of ​​what that figure means, our closest competitor exported 2,830 tons, 16 times less», he explained.

Specifically, this advance in sales has allowed China to position itself this year as the second largest purchaser of Spanish oil outside of Europe.

In addition, the Chinese rise to fifth place among the best clients in the world for Spanish Olive Oil, surpassing Japan and the United Kingdom, which traditionally competed for that position until last year.

Pedro Barato stressed that these results are the result of the work that Spanish companies have been doing in that market, since 2009 with the support of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional.

During the celebration of the 2023 Chinese New Year, a new spectacular campaign was launched under the meaningful slogan: ‘Olive Oils from Spain:The New Fashion’ with outstanding images on the facades of some of the most emblematic skyscrapers in Beijing (Wangfujing and Lafayette) and Shanghai (Global Harbour, White Magnolia Plaza and the Metro City), and with the projection of the spot on Shanghai’s iconic Global Harbour Towers.

The Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization

Olive Oils From Spain is a non-profit organization established by the entities representing the different operators in the olive oil industry.

Pedro Barato Triguero, the President of The Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization since its founding in 2002, has a degree in law and, among other distinctions, he holds the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit in Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

During our interview, Pedro Barato explains:

«The Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Association brings together all the different agents in the sector, olive growers, oil mills, operators, refiners, bottlers and exporters, united with the aim of strengthening the position of Spanish olive oil in the world market, improving its competitiveness and guaranteeing the future of the sector.

The main focus of our activity is on promoting olive oil both nationally and internationally. Our international promotion campaigns that have contributed very positively to the successive sales records we have achieved, especially the one we achieved last season, when we put 1,639,400 tonnes on the market, of which 1,102,900 were destined for export.

We have managed a production of 1.77 million tonnes and have achieved leadership in other important export markets as the United States and Japan.

In China, we have carried out important promotional campaigns to raise awareness of the beneficial properties of olive oil and how it is perfectly suited to Chinese cuisine, which is yielding excellent results, as Chinese consumers are very welcoming of our product.

We have also managed to improve dramatically the image of our oils, pursuing the rightful positioning of Spain as a world leader in both quality and quantity of the oils we produce and export.

Spain is currently at the forefront of production worldwide and the Spanish agri-food sector has already positioned itself ahead of such important sectors as the automobile industry, as clearly indicated by the Spanish trade balance.

Our challenge now is to ensure the social, environmental and economic sustainability of a product that is also closely linked to both culture and gastronomy. For all these reasons, we want to place olive oil among the best products in the world at an international level.

The Chinese value quality very highly, especially in gastronomy, and China is on its way to becoming one of the largest consumers of Spanish Olive Oil. For this reason, the Asian giant has been one of the most important pillars on which the promotion strategy of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional has pivoted since 2009, when we began our first actions abroad.

China is on of the most important markets and a major consumer of our oils: in just one decade, exports of Olive Oils from Spain to China have grown by more than 1,200%.

And indeed the best is yet to come.»