EU Olive Oil: Promoting European Extra Virgin Olive Oil at the Plant Based Expo in New York
20/09/2024 (PRNewswire), New York - Following the success of the June event dedicated to journalists, opinion leaders and food professionals, the EU Olive Oil project returned to New York to participate in the Plant Based Expo (Sept. 11-12), the benchmark event in the United States for 100% plant-based products.
The three-year EU Olive Oil program, promoted by the O.P. Associazione Olivicola Cosentina and co-financed by the European Union, was conceived with the aim of promoting the consumption of extra virgin olive oil produced in Europe. During the New York trade show, visitors had a unique opportunity to explore the distinctive characteristics of extra virgin olive oil, appreciating its organoleptic qualities and discovering its many health-promoting properties.
To better engage the audience, daily cooking demos were held, during which the oil could be tasted in various culinary preparations. These demonstrations were not only able to enhance the unique flavor of the oil, but also demonstrated its extraordinary versatility in cooking.
During the event, restaurant professionals, retailers, distributors and buyers had the opportunity to receive valuable advice on how to select a high-quality, safe and obtained through a sustainable agribusiness production system. This system respects ecological and economic principles, minimizing the use of synthetic chemicals and optimizing fertilization, in line with toxicological best practices.
"Our presence at the Plant Based Expo in New York," says Pierpaola Occhiuto, president of the O.P. Associazione Olivicola Cosentina, "offered us the opportunity to educate American consumers about the importance of the quality of raw materials and to promote a healthy and balanced diet, in which extra virgin olive oil occupies a central role. In addition, it was an opportunity to tell the indissoluble link between olive growing and the land, a cultural and human heritage that for many European countries represents a value to be handed down from generation to generation."
With a consumption of 365.9 thousand tons and a total value of $1,494.3 million (UN Comtrade data), the United States is confirmed as the main non-EU market for olive oil. In recent years, this product has become increasingly important on American tables, reflecting a growing trend toward a quest for high-quality foods.
The O.P. Associazione Olivicola Cosentina Soc.Coop.a.r.l. is an organization of Olive Producers in the Province of Cosenza that has been playing an active role in the Cosenza area since 1982, the date of its establishment, through a dense network of actions in support of its members.
Gathering within itself the presence of about 7100 member producers, one can easily infer the deep rootedness of the Association with the territory: all this makes it one of the most representative associations in the sector, taking care with scrupulous attention every aspect of the olive-growing activity both from the technical-productive point of view and from the economic-commercial one. The Association, in this sense, acts as an efficient intermediary and bridge between its members and the distribution channels.
Its work, in fact, moves in the light of the pursuit of a single relevant macro-objective: to enhance olive production and the careful and conscious consumption of the product, through its protection and promotion.