On 30 March 2026, under the Agri-food Climate and Environmental Sustainability (ACES) Initiative, FAO and the EBRD hosted an e-dialogue on Environmental sustainability and European markets: opportunities and challenges for the olive oil sector in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. The event, which aligned seamlessly with more than a decade of joint EBRD-FAO support to the region’s olive oil sector, brought together key players from across the olive oil value chain to explore a rapidly shifting reality: sustainability is no longer optional, it is redefining access to European markets.
What emerged was clear. Environmental performance is becoming a baseline requirement for market entry, not just a competitive edge. Stricter EU rules on packaging, traceability, carbon reporting and environmental claims – reinforced by increasingly demanding private standards – are reshaping market conditions. While these changes raise the bar for compliance, they are also unlocking access to higher-value, more premium market segments.
Industry leaders showcased how they are adapting fast, through advanced certifications, innovation in packaging and production systems, and by turning sustainability into a powerful driver of value creation. A central message stood out: future competitiveness will depend on the ability to generate, verify and communicate credible sustainability data. In other words, success will hinge on proving how olive oil is made and how natural resources are managed along the way.
For producers in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, this shift represents both pressure and promise. Many already operate with sustainable practices or structural advantages; the real opportunity lies in translating these into measurable, certified attributes that differentiate products and unlock premium markets.
Yet this transition cannot happen in isolation. Collaboration will be critical – especially to ensure small and medium-sized producers are not left behind. Strengthening testing facilities, laboratories, and certification systems, alongside leveraging cooperatives and producer organizations, will be essential to share costs, pool data and meet rising sustainability requirements. As a next step, Türkiye will serve as a case study under the ACES Initiative, building on strong FAO-EBRD cooperation.
Ultimately, the dialogue made one thing clear: sustainability is no longer just about compliance. It is becoming a powerful form of storytelling – backed by evidence – where success depends on proving, with credible data, how olive oil is produced, how landscapes are cared for and how trust in European markets is earned.
Want to know more?
Check out this online course on biosafety measures for olive oil value chain operators and this article produced for World Olive Tree Day 2025.