THE VALUE OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
When thinking about markets, much consideration goes to the issue of cost. We spend a lot of time with the cost of goods, and prices for the consumer. In the midst of all that, it can be easy to lose sight of a related but distinct issue: that of value. It is easy to cite the price of a product, but sometimes that can be a poor measure of its value. The value of something can differ greatly from one person to another. The bigger meaning of the word expresses this: we talk about someone’s values to describe a whole set of standards, beliefs and priorities. Although it’s common to think of product value in numerical terms, we miss a great opportunity if we lose sight of this larger landscape. Extra virgin olive oil lends itself brilliantly to this broader perspective; in the world of olive oil, extra virgin is the star. If we talk about value as a big concept, few foods compare. Let’s look at this from the consumer’s side: what are they looking for and what can extra virgin olive oil offer.
