Mercacei Magazine interviewed Herminia Millán, Manager of OFADE Consulting, in celebration of World Olive Tree Day. What does the future of the olive grove and olive oil sector look like in 2050?

Millán addresses the complexity of anticipating the direction of the olive grove sector, highlighting the positive impact thanks to the collaborative work among several associations. She expects that the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) will be a healthy product, communicating its benefits in its labels. This change in the perception of the consumer will increase the valorisation of the quality, changing the way people think about buying it and their willingness to pay a fair price for a quality product.

Anticipating legislative requests, Millán suggests that restaurants will include EVOO in their menus and will exclusively use this oil over others.

OFADE Consulting expects a strong, firmly positioned image of Spain in 2050, supported by associations that work on common interests in order to protect the sector. The vision includes a collective focus towards excellence in this key sector. 

Millán highlights a promising future for the traditional olive grove, with a sustainable use of water and the transformation of hectares into more profitable crop systems. She visualises the mechanisation of the mountain olive grove as something essential in order to achieve economic sustainability, avoiding the rural depopulation. She also highlights the potential of the Spanish olive grove as a carbon sink for the European industry through the sale of the carbon credits, and henceforth enriching Spanish cities. 

OFADE Consulting is committed to this sector and seeks to contribute to the future of such, positioning itself as a leader in a specialised oil assistance.