INTRODUCTION

There’s no doubt that the global olive oil market is huge. Currently valued at over $14.5 Billion USD and expected to surpass $20 Billion in less than 10 years. Farmers, producers, brokers, importers, retailers and consumers all have a stake.

But as large as this market is, dependable knowledge remains somewhat elusive. And where education lacks, unethical practices and misinformation often fill the void. The more one knows about olive, the better the outcome. This is true for consumers and retailers alike.

And that leads us to the publication you are ready right now. In April of 2022 we had the opportunity to get the know some of the executives at Certified Origins, the olive oil company Headquartered in Grosseto, Italy, with sub-headquarters in the US and Spain and offices in China and Mexico.

It became clear that this was no ordinary Olive Oil company, but instead, a fully-integrated one, built on integrity, tradition, ethics, sustainability, traceability and so much more.

A meeting with Giovanni Quaratesi, Head of Global Corporate Affairs, during the PLMA Show in Chicago last year was quite educational for me. Long story short, it led to this Special Issue of Global Retail Brands. The publication has but one mission. Provide information that retailers can use to make theright decisions for their olive oil programs. We’ve done this by allowing independent experts from different professional and geographical areas, a free space for sharing ideas and opinions.

We are grateful to Giovanni, Miljana Tosic, Creative Director and Gerard Jara, CEO and his team for their willingness to embark on this project and their tireless effort to make this publication a tool for good. Their devotion to this project is indicative of their devotion to your olive oil program.

Kind regards,

Phillip Russo Founder / Editor phillip@globalretailmag.com