Olive Day
Olive growing: a future oriented choice? Between illusions, opportunities, or opportunism.
The Olive Day at SITEVI 2025 has one clear goal: to respond to the current enthusiasm with reliable guidance and informed decisions.
Meeting current enthusiasm with clear guidelines and informed choices. Olive growing has a promising future in France, but it is essential to make informed choices and control costs: selecting the right varieties, understanding the market, and mastering costs are crucial. There is strong agronomic expertise and an organized industry capable of supporting project leaders. Staying informed, exchanging ideas, and planning ahead are vital to avoid unstructured development.
Olive Day, reflections and prospects
The aim of the technical day on olive growing, to be held on Tuesday 25 November, is to provide clear benchmarks for building the future of the industry on solid, realistic and shared foundations, taking into account economic realities, consumer expectations and sustainability issues.
At a pivotal moment, the French olive sector must combine tradition and modernity to meet the economic, climatic and regulatory challenges. Thanks to the commitment of its players and the support of France Olive, it has the opportunity to assert its identity and its place on the markets, while preserving the richness of its terroirs and the excellence of its products.
At a pivotal moment, the French olive sector must combine tradition and modernity to meet the economic, climatic and regulatory challenges. Thanks to the commitment of its players and the support of France Olive, it has the opportunity to assert its identity and its place on the markets, while preserving the richness of its terroirs and the excellence of its products.
Programme
Tuesday, 25 November
Morning – Establishing the agronomic foundations of a viable olive growing project
- 9:15 am – Opening of the day : Why discuss olive growing today? Context, installation trends, land pressure, and diversification following the wine crisis – Laurent Belorgey, President of France Olive.
- 9:40 am – "succeeding in hedge orchard planting!"
• "How to succeed in hedge orchard production: cultivation systems and genetic improvement programs?" – Sofiane Ariba, agronomic engineer for France & North Africa, Todolivo (Cordoba, Spain)
• "Olive production in hedge orchards: planting schemes, varieties, and sustainable and efficient management" – Dr. Ignasi Iglesias, technical director, Agromillora Group (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona/Spain)
- 11:00 am - 12:15am: Conference – “After planting, how to adapt technical practices to your production context” – Agronomy Department of France Olive
- 10:50 am - 11:00 am: Break
- 11:00 am:– "After planting: adapting technical practices to your production context" – Julien Balajas, Head of agronomy, France Olive
- 12:15 am - 12:45 am: Q&A with the audience
Afternoon – Market insights, testimonials, reflections, and perspectives
- 2:00 pm: "The french olive oil market: realities, opportunities, and limits" – Alexandra Paris, director of communication & economics, France Olive. Global olive oil market, focus on national production vs. consumption, specificities of pdo markets, niche vs. volume, quality/price segmentation.
- 2:45 - 3:00 pm: Break
- 3:00 pm: "What does it cost to produce olive oil in France?" – Eugénie Coutagne, agro-economist, Presentation of the results of the production cost study in traditional and hedge orchard systems.
- 4:00 pm: Roundtable: "Producing olive oil: for which markets?" Cross-perspectives from producers and marketers, moderated by Olivier Nasles, with Laurent Bélorgey (Producer and President of France Olive), Mariana Matos (Director of Casa do Azeite, Portugal, and Secretary General of FEDOLIVE), Ghislain Gaubert (Olive grower in Pyrénées-Orientales), and Christian Beaunoir (CEO of Lesieur).
- 5:00 pm: Closing: "Starting in olive growing: industry challenges and collective responsibilities" – France Olive – Summary of the day (30 min)
Wednesday, 26 November
- 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm - "Choosing the right olive varieties: balancing terroir, market opportunities, and technical constraints" – Hélène Lasserre, director of conservation & research, France Olive. Overview of the main varieties grown in France, agronomic behavior, adaptability, commercial value, and climate challenges.
France Olive, at the heart of the French olive industry
France Olive association française interprofessionnelle de l'olive was created in 1999 to serve theolive oil and then olive sector.
It is the specialised olive section of the oilseed and protein crop interprofession (TerresUnivia).
Recognised by the State, it is a private organisation that brings together all the partners in the French olive-growing sector (producers, cooperatives, millers, industrial olive oil packers, table olive confectioners and nursery growers).
A forum for consultation and decision-making,France Olive is at the service of the profession to enable French olive growing to develop and to raise the profile of the industry's products.
Its main tasks are:
- Production and processing techniques,
- the economy and regulation
- as well as communication/promotion of the sector
Olive oil masterclasses
The programme:
- Introduction to tasting French olive oils and discovering the three families of flavours
- French PDO olive oils
- Huiles d'olive de France: new productions.
- Olive oil: mature olives / mature olives, what's the difference? : Why do we talk about mature? mature? Taste oils from both flavour families and discover the differences between them
- Blind tasting
- Discovering the uniqueness and diversity of French olive oils
Discover the entire tree and olive industry represented at SITEVI 2025.
