EVOO Quality and Sustainability in Japan

Recently the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ICCJ) organized a dedicated contest for the best olive oil the JOOP contest. The event, at its 2nd edition, was held in Tokyo aiming at promoting the Italian excellence in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and to spread knowledge about olive oil quality among Japanese consumers and buyers. The panel was lead by Mrs. Migliorini and specific prizes were assigned to three EVOO categories, distinguished by their flavor intensity: Light, Medium and Strong. Special mentions were assigned to the EVOO with higher content in polyphenols  and to the best EVOO from ORGANIC FARMING, to meet the Japanese consumer's preferences for healthy products and cosmetic properties of olive oil. 

Olive oil contests in Japan are relatively new. For example, Olive Oil Japan organized by Toshiya Tada and his association of Japanese Olive Oil Tasters is one of those. We believe that competition among these initiatives is useful the push further the bar of excellence, although too many messages may lead to noise in the market thus generating confusion among consumers and operators. Anyhow, these thoughts should be considered bearing in mind the specificity of the Japanese Market, one the most regulated and "structured", to use an euphemism.

Above all, we register an almost complete absence of sustainability. A part from recognizing  to Organic EVOO a special category, there's the need to communicate what sustainability means in its social, environmental and economic meaning, and to shed a light on those firms that struggle to achieve it. Japanese consumption of EVOO is very environmentally expansive provided the long distances from the largest production areas, Mediterranean, Australia and South America. Think about CO2 (carbon dioxide) emission in the atmosphere due to transportation.

It would be great to enhance compensation measures and those firms that use them (follow this link for an example).
We are here to provide help on this path.
Thanks!

Selling olive oil in London - Borough Market #1

Dearest,
sustainability is not just a matter of environment and fairness, it's also gaining the "right" price for the efforts spent in producing the "right" end-product.
Speaking about food, and olive oil specifically, the so called "value chain" along which the product's price reach its final value is typically rich in intermediaries. The higher the number of intermediaries between the producer and the final customer our dearest "consumer" - or we should say "prosumer" - the higher the end-price. Whenever the price needs to be lowered to gain in competitiveness, value is often cut off the producer's share, isn't it?

Well, someone could say "that's the market baby!" meaning that if your bargaining power is low you cannot ask for more. We are not going to post any comment to this latter, however direct-selling is one option producers have to gain the most value from their products. Here we want to show an example, the Borough market in London- Southwark Street.

 

Long way from saying "this is what you should do!" we want to present how an organization can be built around a message - fresh, safe & specialty food - to get the best out of it.

Was olive oil there? Yes of course!

The "price" of Sustainability - step #1

How much should a product cost to really accomplish with sustainability? If a bottle of extra virgin olive oil has a really cheap price two questions should hit our mind: “is it really good quality?” and “was it produced according to sustainability?”. As for the second question, it may happen that behind a low price there’s a production process where cost saving was achieved polluting the environment, exploiting workers, exploiting other resources from local population or whatsoever.

Hence, let’s start from here: a list of the latest prices for bulk extra virgin olive oil in the main markets of origin (from Oliveoilmarket.eu). Take a look and start comparing with the price you payed for the wonderful olive oil bottle you have at home.

We’ll come back on it later, keep following us!

One more thing: if you are a producer, trader of anyonelse involved in the extra virgin olive oil market leave us a feedback on this table.

PURCHASE OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL IN EUROPE
Prices of oil extraparthenou €/kg(*)
City	A	B	C	D
Jaen(ES)	1.98	1.92	3.12%	K
Granada(ES)	1.98	1.92	3.12%
Estremadura(ES)	1.98	1.92	3.12%
Cordoba(ES)	1.98	1.98	0.00%
Toledo(ES)	2.01	1.98	1.51%
Borjas(ES)	2.48	2.48	0.00%	-15.10%
Sevilla(ES)Arbequiiio	2.16	2.16	0.00%
Sevilla(ES)	2.1	2.1	0.00%	%
Bari(IT)	3.61	3.58	0.80%	14.10%
Andria(IT)	3.05	3.52	-13.35%
Foggia(IT)	3.53	3.52	0.40%	15.70%
Bitonto(IT)	3.1	3.52	-11.90%
Taranto(IT)	3.05	3	1.70%	15.10%
Cosenza(IT)	3.2	3.18	0.80%	13.30%
Catanzaro(IT)	3.25	3.18	2.40%	14.10%
Salerno(It)	3.6	3.6	0.00%	0.00%
Chieti(IT)	3.75	3.85	-3.60%	5.60%
Palermo(IT)	3.6	3.6	0.00%	10.80%
Trapani(IT)	3.8	3.8	0.00%	13.40%
ReggioCalabria(IT)	3.6	3.5	2.90%	9.10%
Catania(IT)	4.7	4.5	4.40%	14.60%
Pescara(IT)	3.75	3.75	0.00%	8.70%
Viterbo(IT)	5.1	5.1	0.00%	3.00%
Kalamata	2.78	2.78	0.00%	9.60%
Kalamata: (estimates 2.85-2,90 € /kg)
Sparta	2.88	2.88	0.00%	10.50%
Crete	2.76	2.77	-0.30%	8.30%
Mytilene(Virgin)	2.08	2.08	5.60%	13.70%
Stax(Tunisia)	2.28	2.28	0.00%	-13.30%

A= 20th week in 2014 (18 May 2014) 

B= 19th week in 2014

C= % change in price of 20 on the 2014 previus

D= % change in price for the same week of 2013.

Source:

http://www.oliveoilmarket.eu on data from:Ismea, Camere di Commercio Italiane, Sistema de informacion de precios en origen del mercato de contado dell’aceide de oliva. Olimerca. elies-ladikalamatiano