Organic Olive Oil

SPANISH ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:37:57 +0000

In Spain organic farming began at the end of the 80’s. At present we are the first European country and eight worldwide, when it comes to surface area dedicated to organic cultivation and our production levels are very high.

In Spain, there are 1.317.752 hectares dedicated to organic production. The organic olive groves cover 101.268, 21% of the total of olive groves. This means that 21% of the olive oil produced in Spain, is organic extra virgin olive oil.

Andalusia is the region with the largest surface area of organic olive groves (41.556 ha). It is followed by Extremadura (35.290 ha), and Castilla La Mancha (12.835 ha).

There are 2174 processors and production industries of organic extra virgin olive oil, of which 298 are organic oil mills.

To increase demand, both government and major distributor groups are carrying out promotion campaigns, developing new products and innovating in packaging and presentation. The goal is very clear: make the consumer aware of the differential elements and the benefits of the organic extra virgin olive oil.

Organic extra virgin olive oil must hold the stamp indicating that it has been produced in accordance with organic production system.

Regulation: Council regulation (EC) No. 834/2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products.

Prices: The results of several research studies undertaken by Organic agriculture Department of the Ministry, reveal that the average price difference between conventional olive oil and organic olive oil is around 25%. However they point out that the production of organic olive oil requires additional requirements that make elaboration more expensive and therefore raise its price. Likewise when demand raises distribution costs will be reduced, making final price reduces of organic olive oil as well.

SPANISH EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:39:05 +0000

Today Spain is the leading producer and exporter of extra virgin olive oil in the world, with more than 300 million olive trees and an average annual production of 1.200.000 tons, reaching 1.400.000 in recent seasons (1.416.060 Tons in season 2003/04). Spain produce almost three times more than the next world producer of extra virgin olive oil, which is Italy with an average annual production lower than 500.000 Tons. It is interesting to note that the province of Jaén (where our land is situated) produces more extra virgin olive oil than the whole Greece.

Nevertheless, until a few years ago, Spanish extra virgin olive oil was relatively unknown since almost all of it was sold by bulk and packaged outside the country, for example in Italy.

Today, gradually, oil producers, and especially those of the best quality extra virgin oil, are packaging and placing their own names on the bottles. This is increasing considerably the knowledge and admiration for Spanish olive oil as an exceptional product. The culinary experts (from Spain, US, France…) all prefer and use Spanish extra virgin olive oils.

An informative campaign is taking place this year 2005 in USA, carried out by Spanish Trade Commission in NY informing about characteristics of Spanish Olive Oil. The objective is to be recognized as first source for extra virgin olive oil in the world (instead of Italy), and to educate American consumers about Spain’s long heritage in extra virgin olive oil production and inform them of the quality of Olive Oil from Spain so they make it their everyday olive oil choice.

It is expected that in the next years this informative campaign will be extended to other countries as Germany, China and India.

Give Your Body The Gift of Longer Life

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:04:56 +0000

To add extra virgin olive oil to your diet would be giving your system a gift of longer life. Taking small steps to improve your health is always best. Changing the oil that you presently cook with is a small but powerful step towards better health. The health benefits that olive oil provides may be endless. However, there are different grades with extra virgin olive oil being the best. Olive oil has been link directly to relieving many health ailments. Heart disease is said to be improved by just one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil a day. It apparently lowers cholesterol, which is the leading cause of heart disease.

The taste of olive oil is recognizable as it has its own unique taste. Unlike soybean oil or other cooking oil, extra virgin olive oil can be consumed without high levels of processing needed. That is how pure it is. The other oils will need processing before they can be consumed in the human body. That fact alone speaks volumes. Would you prefer to put something closer to nature in your body? Of course you would.

Any olive oil would be better then other oils but extra virgin olive oil is better in the olive family. It simply means that it is from the first batch and is handled less than the other grades of olive oil. The range is from “extra virgin” to “extra light” with two other stages in between. This scale just says one has more filtering done to it. Extra light is the lowest grade as it has been heat treated and almost filtered completely.

Changing the oil that you cook with is just one small change that you can make in your life to improve your health. Olive oil is easily consumed by the body, like most things from nature. You can use olive oil for some many natural things in life that it could be considered a wonder oil of sorts. While olive oil at large is better for you, extra virgin olive oil is best due to low levels of processing whereas other olive oils may be processed which takes a way some of the health benefits.

Why Organic Olive Oil from Organic Farming?

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:21:59 +0000

Organic farming is the alternative to conventional farming, where culture of intensive labour predominates with the massive application of chemical herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, etc… that suppose a simplification and a loss of the agrarian landscape every time greater year after year. Conventional farming provokes the loss of the agrarian landscape, which is disappearing year after year, and the diminution of the fauna and flora diversity.
Organic farming, the only technique we are implementing since long ago in Cortijo el Tobazo country estate, boosts the diversification of the agrarian landscape, seeks for the recovery of natural boundaries, as well as the maintenance of the existing traditional lay out of the olive grove, what allows small forest areas to be maintained in order to improve the diversity and the landscape.
This way of farming contributes, among others, to achieve the following environmental benefits:
Protection of the ecosystem and increase of its biodiversity, vegetal species as well as animal species.
Reduction of the hydric and aeolian erosion.
Barrier against the entrance of polluting agents from contiguous parcels whose agriculture is conventional.
Improvement of the agrarian landscape.
The result is the production of an organic olive oil that presents maximum guarantee for the consumer’s health since it does not contain pesticides residues, which is highly important for a product that is usually consumed fresh or heated when the toxicity may increase.

Organic Olive Oil

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:17:28 +0000

Olive oil is taken from the fruit of the olive tree, a tree that is native to the Mediterranean region. The oil is used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and even as fuel to burn oil lamps. Olive oil is used through out the world but it is used for cooking purposes mainly in the Mediterranean region. Some times the trees are cultivated by following international standards of organic cultivation . Oil got from such trees is considered to be organic olive oil. The richness, flavor and color of organic olive oil are considered to be better than regular or non-organic olive oil.

Today the number of olive trees grown and cultivated number somewhere around 750 million but only a small percentage of that is grown organically. This is the reason why it is generally more expensive compared to inorganic oil. Most of the globally exported olive oil comes from the Mediterranean region, especially, Italy, France, Spain, and Greece. Spain exports the most amount of olive oil, some 45 percent of the total output. The U.S is a fairly late entrant in the cultivation of olive oil. Nevertheless there is a vibrant olive growing trend happening there especially organic olive oil.

Even though the total output of olive oil from the U.S is still relatively low, there is a big trend there for organically grown foods, more than most countries, which has led to a proportionately higher out put of organically grown olive oils. The olives are picked just before they ripen and are cold pressed to maximize polyphenol extraction. Polyphenol is a potent anti-oxidant and it is also gives the oil a great flavor. Most of the organic olive oil grown in the U.S is cultivated in California. Good quality organic olive oil will have a green color with pungent and spicy undertones.

But it is not only for cooking that organic olive oil is used. It is also used widely in cosmetics and medicinal use. In cosmetics it is used in body care products such as soap. It is also popular to apply it on the body, this helps with moisturizing the body, a good remedy for those who have dry skin. There are even organic soaps made from certified organic olive oil.