March 2023 Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor

Italian company seeks ‘Agrumato’ trademark in Australia

Australian food producers are having their right to use the word ‘Agrumato’ challenged, with an Italian entity attempting to trademark the term in Australia.

In January 2022 IP Australia received an application from an Italian company seeking to register a trademark over the word ‘Agrumato’. The company claims to have created the process of co-processing citrus and olives to produce citrus flavoured oil, a product it calls ‘Agrumato’. Despite being recognised as an historical practice in the Abruzzo region, the company has successfully trademarked the term as a brand in Italy and also in the US.

Legal notifications already issued

The AOA was made aware of the company’s intentions in early 2022 when several Australian producers received legal notices to cease using ‘Agrumato’ on their products. This notification referenced the company’s trademark in Europe but has no legal standing here, as the term is not trademarked in Australia.

The AOA has subsequently monitored the application throughout the examination process (during which no public input is available) and can confirm that in midJanuary this year it was accepted by IP Australia.

Edible oils removed from application scope

Importantly, however, during the examination process there were a number of Adverse Report communications between IP Australia and the applicants, resulting in changes to the listings of products to be covered by the trademark application acceptance.

Specifically, the items “edible oils and fats; extra virgin olive oil for food” had been removed from the Class 29 application category, with “olive pastes” now the only olive-related product listed.

Note: the application scope includes an additional wide range of food items with no relation to olives co-processed with citrus or other flavouring elements. See full list below.

Opposition

Upon acceptance the application moved into the Opposition period, which provided a two-month period (to mid-March) for lodgment of opposition to the granting of the trademark.

The AOA immediately commenced co-ordination of a collective opposition submission on behalf of Australian producers: anyone whose business may be

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impacted by the granting of the trademark (i.e. those currently marketing, or planning to market, olive oils labelled ‘Agrumato’) was invited to send details of their opposition to the AOA by late February. Opposition submissions were then collated and included in an industry-representative opposition which has been submitted by the AOA. Information was also provided to producers who wished to lodge their own individual opposition.

AOA confirmation

Prior to preparing the industry opposition submission, the AOA sought to further determine the probable impact of the application on Australian flavoured oil producers.

On 19 January AOA CEO Michael Southan requested confirmation from IP Australia “that Trade Mark No. 2248457 for Agrumato does not apply to Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Olive Oil” and received the following reply:

“I can confirm the current classifications listed on trade mark 2248457 are:

Class 29: Dried, frozen and cooked fruits and vegetables; gelatin; jams; marmalade; milk products; olive pastes.

Class 30: Coffee, tea, cocoa and artificial coffee; rice; tapioca and sago; flour and preparations made from cereals; bread,

pastries and confectionery; ice cream; sugar; honey; molasses syrup for culinary purposes; yeast; baking-powder; salt; vinegar; mustard; spices.”

Ongoing concern

Southan said that the removal of the references to olive oil are positive, however there is still concern about the term being trademarked for any food products.

“It’s been removed for olive oil, which appears to show that IP Australia have identified its existing common usage by Australian flavoured olive oil producers,” he said.

“It still applies to ‘olive pastes’, however, and there is the chance that an owner of the trademark could apply pressure on Australian olive producers to stop using the term. While there would be no legal standing for this as it would not apply to olive oil, a cease and desist letter from lawyers, and the subsequent actions to deal with it, would cause unnecessary stress and time/ cost expense for our producers. And they may not all be aware of the true status of the trademark, so may act unnecessarily on the contact.

“We know that the company has already also trademarked the term in the US, where the industry was unaware of the application and therefore did not have the chance

The term 'Agrumato' is in common usage by consumers and retailers across the globe, and has been in official AOA use for many years to define co-processed flavoured oils.

Why ‘Agrumato’ shouldn’t be trademarked in Australia

There are many reasons why the granting of an Australian trademark for the term ‘Agrumato’ is inappropriate. Here are the main ones:

• The term is in common usage in Australia, New Zealand and other countries across the globe, by both producers and consumers.

• The term has appeared in official AOA publications for at least 10 years. For example, the Australian Olive Industry Code of Practice, Second EditionOctober 2013 includes a section on “Recommended label terminology to be used for flavoured (Agrumato style) olive oils”.

*Note: this directly refutes the applicant’s claim that “the words in the Mark have no meaning in English”.

• The practice of co-processing citrus and olives for oil has an even longer history, acknowledged well before it was formalised as the trademarked (in Italy) brand AGRUMATO® in 1989 - e.g.

“In the region of Abruzzo, bordering the Adriatic Sea, olive farmers have traditionally created citrus oils for family and friends but was kept always at home for personal use, never sold. The crisp freshness of Agrumato is achieved by the whole-fruit crushing process, which cannot be duplicated by the more common infusion method of other citrus flavored oils.” - www.italco.com

“Traditionally in this region of Italy, olive farmers have celebrated the end of the harvest by crushing lemons with freshly picked olives. The Ricci family had the ingenuity to bottle this unique oil, reviving a nearly forgotten Abruzzese tradition, as well as create new flavors with different citrus fruits.” - www.manicaretti.com

• The applicant’s own website states that co-processed oil is not a new product, rather the brand and trademark were:

“Created by visionary minds determined to revolutionize the very essence of a halfknown and forgotten product, lemon oil would have disappeared for good, were it not for the insight and passion of the Ricci brothers.” - www.agrumato.it

• The term - again, as referenced on the applicant’s own website - relates to products comprised of olive oil and (generally) citrus: “… these extraordinary seasonings based on Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Citrus.” - www.agrumato.it

The trademarking of the term in relation to the wide range of entirely unrelated food products in the application is therefore irrelevant and inappropriate.

to oppose it. A number of flavoured oil producers are now being forced to change their labelling and cease using the term. This is no doubt what would have happened here without due diligence by IP Australia and opposition from the olive industry.

“Australian consumers also know ‘Agrumato’ as a term for co-processed flavoured oils - as do producers and consumers around the globe - and we believe that trademarking the term for other food products is inappropriate.

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“We have documented these and other reasons in our industry opposition and hope they assist IP Australia in deciding the trademark should not be granted in any form.”

More information

To view the full details of the application, go to www.search.ipaustralia.gov.au/ trademarks and search for ‘Agrumato’.

We’ll also update on progress in the June edition of Olivegrower & Processor

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An Italian company is attempting to trademark the term ‘Agrumato’, commonly used to describe co-processed flavoured olive oils, with cease-and-desist letters already sent to several Australian producers.

AOA backs Mudgee growers in mine fight

The AOA has gone into bat for olive growers in the Mudgee region, putting its national organisation body weight behind the fight to stop a toxic mine being developed in the area.

Background

Development assessment is currently underway of an application by Bowdens Silver Pty Ltd for “an open cut silver mine and associated infrastructure” being constructed at Lue, in the Mid-Western Regional local government area (LGA) of NSW. The site is very close to the popular Mudgee-Rylstone tourist trail and surrounded by agriculture, while the LGA contains 44,400 olive trees planted over 336 hectares. This includes a significant international award-winning olive business less than five km from the mine. Opposition to the mine has been led by the Lue Action Group (LAG), a local volunteer group formed to ensure responsible development of the region. The LAG is opposed to the Bowdens mine proposal on the basis that the mine would have unacceptable impacts on the community, its people and the surrounding environment in the short, medium and long term.

Following a now-closed public submission period, the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) will determine whether the project will go ahead. There is no official timeline for the decision.

Silver in name only

While the mine is purported to be predominantly extracting silver, closer scrutiny has revealed that the greatest quantities of mineral extracted will be zinc and lead. Bowdens' own projected ore volumes show that silver will, in fact, be the minority element extracted, accounting for 1,880 tonnes (T) compared with lead (95,000T) and zinc (130,000T). This means that 50 times more lead than silver will be produced over the life of the mine.

Threats to community and environment

The LAG describes the mine as a “potential environmental disaster”, threatening water security and quality, and exposing the community and environment to both the long-term effects of contamination from the tailings dam and dangerous lead exposure.

The proposed 112.5 hectare tailings dam lies across a fault line at the headwaters of the Lawson Creek, which flows into the Cudgegong River at Mudgee. Containing poisonous materials like cyanide, arsenic

and lead particles, Bowdens predicts a best case scenario of 170,000L of leakage per day.

But the dangers from lead exposure exist from all stages of the mining process - and well beyond - the LAG says, as “the only safe place for lead is in the ground”. Even very low levels of exposure can have lifelong detrimental health effects and are particularly dangerous for children.

However the LAG says that “The data Bowdens uses in its project proposal underestimates community exposure levels of lead. It ignores concentrate, mine ore materials or tailings as potential sources of lead dust and fails to analyse the effect of peak wind events.”

Impact on olive oil

The AOA agrees, and is concerned about the very likely impact of olive oil from the region being contaminated with lead. So AOA Michael Southan did his own research into lead and plants, and presented the NSW IPC with a more realistic set of facts.

“I dug back into the original consultants’ reports that the department had used to give the go ahead for the mine, and there were things that didn’t line up with what the consultants had said,” he said.

“Most significantly, the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) report,

under Agricultural Impacts, states that ‘enRiskS also determined that contributions of lead to soil and water would be negligible … enRiskS also noted that lead is poorly taken up into plants, so impacts on crops are unlikely’.

“In addition, the report indicated that the bioaccessibility of lead was 33% - but in soil samples taken at 0-5 cm, with only one taken from 30-60 cm, so how representative is this of the mine? And it goes on to say that this value ‘… only relates to the ingestion of soil or dust, not the ingestion of lead from any other media such as water or food products’.

“So gathered some relevant scientific data, put some slides together and put it to the IPC at the public consultation hearings. I showed that lead IS taken up by plants, and it WILL go into the water table.

“Noting that the reports outline Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) as a significant risk in this project, and that Low pH or acidic water created by AMD solubilizes heavy metals, I drew their attention to the fact that solubilised lead reaching the water table and water courses presents a significant pathway for lead to be taken up by plants (olives) from soil water and irrigation water from bores, dams, and creek water. The enRiskS report did not address this significant pathway for lead to enter local food production.

Threats to olive industry

“I was there primarily to represent our industry, so I made them aware that, as lead is absorbed by plants mainly through the roots from soil solution and causes lipid peroxidation, in the case of olive trees it destroys the quality of the oil produced. “I stressed that approval of the mine would put the valuable ‘clean, green, exceptional quality’ reputation of Australian EVOO at risk - threatening the viability of both local producers and the national industry.”

AOA support available

The AOA’s support of the Mudgee region growers’ fight to stop the mine is just one example of the organisation’s ongoing advocacy work, and Southan said he wants producers to know that they’re not alone in these sorts of situations.

“As a smaller industry body we may not have the big dollars or clout that the grain or cattle associations do but we have a smart, pro-active and politically savvy board, backed by a strong network of industry experts and associates,” he said.

“We can’t promise to always ‘win’ but we’ll support our producers where we can, flying the flag for issues prioritised by the board to efficiently use our limited resources.”

There’s more detail on the mine and the opposition on the Lue Action Group website, www.lueactiongroup.org, where you’ll also find a link to all proposal documentation on the NSW Department of Planning and Environment website.

The mine site is surrounded by agriculture, including olive groves containing nearly 45,000 olive trees.

In his presentation to the NSW Independent Planning Commission, Southan stressed that approval of the mine would impact olive oil quality, threatening the reputation and viability of both local producers and the national industry.

New Directors join AOA Board

The AOA has welcomed two new Directors to its Board, with Westerly Isbaih and Jared Bettio both signing on in late-2022. We asked them a few questions to help members get to know them better.

Westerly Isbaih, Director - Tasmania

Westerly Isbaih is Sales and Marketing Manager for awardwinning EVOO and table olive producer ALTO Olives, and lives in Hobart, Tasmania.

OG&P: Why did you want to join the AOA Board?

WI: To be honest I was hesitant because I already work full-time for our family business, ALTO Olives, and full-time as a mother to my five-year-old boy, so was unsure that could take on another big responsibility. But then I figured that I have always been a strong and very vocal advocate for the Australian olive industry in the work that I do, which involves educating as many people as possible about why they should choose to buy Australian EVOOs.

I am also a big believer in giving back, and this is a way that I can do that for the industry and community that has given me much joy, many challenges, and serious job satisfaction in my career so far. And at the end of the day believe with all my heart in this industry and the foods that we grow, produce and sell, and I want see it do well.

OG&P: What do you bring to the role?

WI: I have been working in the broader food industry for almost 20 years now, with the last 16 having a specific focus on Australian EVOO and table olives - in the sales and marketing of our own brand, ALTO Olives, and in the countless olive oil and table olive competitions I have judged in. Also in my role as an EVOO educator bringing the message of why consumers should be choosing to purchase Australian EVOOs and table olives, whether in a professional kitchen or for their own home cooking. I believe that all of these skills, as well as my vast food industry experience and connections, can be utilized at a more macro level by being part of the board.

Plus I have enthusiasm for days.

OG&P: Are there any particular issues you’re keen to focus on?

WI: believe that we as an industry are not yet seen as part of the bigger conversation around food, health and sustainability in this

country, and we really should be. There is no point only getting the message out to other olive folk, our messaging needs to reach a much wider audience.

Chefs, retailers, consumers, health professionals, media folkbasically everyone that values good food that is grown and produced sustainably and that also happens to be so damn good for us to eat from a health perspective - should all be shouting from the rooftops about Australian EVOO and table olives, or at least valuing our products and having an understanding about what it costs to produce the quality that we generally do.

But we still face the issue of EVOO being seen by many as a commodity item, and that means that people are not willing to pay for it. And that is a problem. Good, wholesome, healthy food isn’t cheap to produce. Why should EVOO be any different?

OG&P: What you see as the opportunities for the industry right now?

WI: Olives are one of the oldest cultivated foods on earth and the EVOO that they make is well researched and documented as being one of the healthiest fats we can consume. We are currently facing a global health crisis, particularly in the Western world, of inflammatory diseases, diabetes and heart disease. Diet, along with exercise, has everything to do with solving these problems. And EVOO is an important part of that solution. And guess what? That is what we do. We collectively produce one of the oldest, healthiest and most

New AOA Director Westerly Isbaih lives in Tasmania, and is Sales and Marketing Manager for ALTO Olives.

New AOA Director Jared Bettio is General Manager of South Australian producer Rio Vista Olives.

important foods on the planet. We need to mine that opportunity for all it’s worth!

And the fact that we are also facing an environmental crisis, and that we all grow trees that are very efficient at sequestering carbon back into the soil, well there must be an opportunity in there somewhere too.

OG&P: And the challenges?

WI: There are loads, as there are in any industry, but for me the fact that we don’t have funds for more effective marketing of our amazing industry is a big one. And don’t know what the answer to that is.

All I know is that there is power in the collective and that we need to be working together to promote ourselves on an industry level, not just an individual one. And that we need to be a part of the bigger conversation around food, health and sustainability for the future.

Jared Bettio - Director

Jared Bettio brings hands-on production experience to the Board, as a grower, processor and General Manager of his family’s SA-based business, Rio Vista Olives.

OG&P: Why did you want to join the AOA Board?

JB: I want the industry to thrive and I wanted to make sure that happens.

My perspective is a bit different because I grow, process and I sell. I’m involved from one end to other, and hands-on with it all, and being part of the AOA Board means I can be hands-on in trying to promote the industry better. I’m also part of Olives SA, and on their Board, but the scope there is more limited.

I’m really interested in promotion to chefs and the food service industry, in particular, and keen to see the industry work hand-inhand with them to raise the profile of olive oil. I’d like them to become like they are with the wine industry, where there’s promotion of how food and wine complement each other.

OG&P: What do you bring to the role?

JB: A big picture perspective.

From my limited time in the industry, I’ve gained contacts in Italy, Spain and Northern Europe. I’m in the loop with what the market is demanding and the direction that the international market is going. And at the moment, ultra-high polyphenol oil is the way we’re going.

So one of the main things I can contribute is a wider perspective than what we get inside Australia.

OG&P: Are there any particular issues you’re keen to focus on?

JB: want to see the industry being viable for a small grower, like it is Europe.

In Italy a grower can live off a grove of 800-1200 trees because they get paid properly for their oil. Yes, they get subsidies to some degree but what they get paid at the mill per litre is about double what we get. It should be the same here.

It’s really bad to see how many Australian groves are being pushed out or becoming derelict, and want to see that it become viable for small growers to keep their groves.

That’s my goal, to do that at Board level.

OG&P: What you see as the opportunities for the industry right now?

JB: The opportunity is that we’re not bound by tradition in this country; we’re willing to innovate and try new things and be at the cutting edge. So Australian producers have the opportunity to be at the top of the industry across the globe.

OG&P: And the challenges?

JB: We are not taken seriously compared to European producers, even by Australian consumers. It’s a matter of us as an industry being seen as a top-end product around the world. That’s the challenge we need to meet.

Perspective and enthusiasm

AOA CEO Michael Southan said Westerly and Jared are very positive additions to the Board.

“It’s terrific having two new directors join the board and, as younger members of the industry, Westerly and Jared both bring a new perspective and enthusiasm. They’ve already contributed greatly at the first couple of board meetings they’ve attended,” he said.

“And each have strengths in different focus areas, Westerly in marketing and food service, and Jared in business and project management from his past life as a builder.

“They’re both really engaged and proactive, and we’re all looking forward to seeing what we can achieve over the next few years.”

Register of small-batch processors – are you listed?

Thanks to all the small-batch processors who have sent us their details: they’re now on our register, which we reference to connect processors with people wanting to utilise their services.

The Olivegrower and AOA team regularly receive enquiries from people looking for small-batch processors, so we’ve put a register together which enables us to connect producers with small crops and processors who can process for them, to the mutual benefit of both.

We’d like to include all processors across Australia and New Zealand willing and able to process small batches of olives, both individually and also those offering group crushings.

If this is you, please send your details to Olivegrower editor Gerri Nelligan, including contact and pricing details, minimum quantities required, and whether you will crush individually or on a “mix and percentage” basis.

We’ve got a good list already, and it’s worked well in recent years, so we’re keen to make the register as complete as possible. Please send us your details so we can add you to the list – it could mean valuable additional work for your business. In particular, we’re keen to hear from small batch processors in New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland

To be included on the register, please email your details to Olivegrower editor Gerri Nelligan at e ditor@olivegrower.com.au

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AOA Board members at the December meeting (from left): Paul Miller, Kent Hallett, Tina Knight, Michael Southan (CEO), Michael Thomsett (President), Andrew Burgess, Westerly Isbaih, Margie Carter and Jared Bettio. Absent: Lisa Rowntree and Mick Ryan.

Med Diet named 2023 Best, Healthiest … and more … yet again!

The 2023 US News Best Diet rating has yet again confirmed what we all know: that the Mediterranean diet is THE Best Diet for those wanting to eat healthier. The olive oil-rich eating regime took the #1 spot in the Best Diets Overall category, racking up six consecutive years as the survey’s outright winner.

Awarded a score of 4.6/5 - even higher than last year’s top score of 4.2/5 - the Mediterranean diet also ranked first in four other categories, making its total #1 tally:

• #1 in Best Diets Overall

#1 in Best Plant-Based Diets

• #1 in Best Diets for Healthy Eating

• #1 in Best Diets for Bone and Joint Health (tie)

• #1 in Best Family Friendly Diets (tie)

The Mediterranean diet was among the top ratings in three additional categories:

#2 in Best Diets for Heart Health

• #2 in Best Diets for Diabetes

• #3 in Easiest Diets to Follow making it among the top three in eight out of the 11 categories rated, from the 24 diets included.

Health, not ‘dieting’

In fact, the only categories in which the Mediterranean diet didn’t make the top rankings were those related to weight loss. That’s not surprising, given that it focuses on overall diet quality rather than a single nutrient or food group. It also focuses on long-term health benefits and lifestyle accessibility rather than ‘dieting’ as such and was therefore ranked at equal #5 in Best Weight-Loss Diets (from #12 in 2022) and equal #21 in Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets (#25 in 2022). The former no doubt reflects the many scientific studies which have proven that a Mediterranean way of eating is an effective diet for weight loss and weight maintenance.

Oils ‘superb’, with opportunity for more improvement

Olive oil matters

The 2023 Best Diet Review also notes the significance of inflammation in many health conditions, with coronary heart disease, major depression and cancer - among others - linked to increased levels of inflammatory markers in the blood.

It references red wine and olive oil as elements of the Mediterranean diet with anti-inflammatory properties and we were pleased to read the comment:

“However, the type of olive oil appears to matter. The refined varieties are mostly devoid of the antioxidants in extra-virgin olive oil, created from the first pressing of the ripe olive fruit.”

Healthy plant fats

Confirming the validity of previous results, the overall top four ranking diets for 2023 were a repeat of last year’s listing, with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet and Flexitarian Diet tied at #2 (Flexitarian #3 in 2022) and the Mind Diet at #4.

All of these diets emphasise an increase in plant-based foods and support the consumption of “healthy fats” - with olive oil specified in all - along with a decrease in saturated fats.

The US News’ diet rating website in fact describes the Mediterranean diet pyramid as emphasizing the consumption of olive oil. We were pleased to read also the reference to olive oil as “a cooking staple in

NUMBER ONE MED DIET

Mediterranean recipes”, as well the accepted “key salad dressing ingredient”.

The ranking process

Now in its 13th year, the annual US News Best Diets listing ranks current popular diets across a number of categories, rating their effects on aspects including heart health, short- and long-term weight loss, ease of following, safety and nutrition.

For the 2023 listing, detailed assessments of 38 diets were prepared by US News and reviewed by a panel of 33 nationally recognized experts in nutrition, obesity, food psychology and chronic disease management. The experts then rated each diet based on various criteria, with the total scores out of five (highest) used to construct the Best Diets rankings across the 11 categories.

Source: www.usnews.com.

One of the main aims of the Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) is nurturing growers and producers to improve and further develop their products. All entries receive substantial feedback from the judges, who also provide enlightening commentary on the overall quality and seasonal trends of each year’s oils and olives. There’s a lot we can learn from their feedback, so let’s take a look at what the 2022 AIOA judges had to say about last year’s entries.

Overall quality

One of the stand-out sentiments of the 2022 international judging panels was that Australian producers are continuing to push the quality envelope.

As AOA CEO Michael Southan stated in his foreword to the 2022 AIOA Results Book:

“The judges noted that, even after a challenging harvest, the quality had lifted compared with previous years. The best oils were superb and the superb oils were many.”

Event convenor and Chief Steward Trudie Michels agreed, commenting that “feedback was that the extra virgin and flavoured oils in general were quite spectacular, and table olive quality was also very good. The entries in the

Specialty Olives class were particularly good, and were a delight to taste.”

That was reflected in the competition results, with the average judges’ score for 2022 AIOA entries rising to an impressive 82.5/100, a very high Silver. This was an increase on both the 2021 average score of 78.2 and 2020’s previous high of 81.7.

Silver and Gold medals also dominated the results, and 89% of entries were awarded a medal.

Praise from the judges

Here’s what some of the judges had to say about the high quality of 2022 entries, in their own words:

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Available to download from the AIOA website, the 2022 Results Book provides an overview of the competition and a full listing of results, with judging comments for each medal-winning

Dr Agustí Romero, Spanish panel

“This year, some of the samples were surprisingly clean, complex, and balanced … Some of the best had particularities, like an enhanced green volatile or some clear tropical fruits undertones, very difficult to obtain. To sum up, the set of samples assessed by the Spanish jury was of very good quality and not far from the best oils produced in our country.”

“The outstanding oils were excellent, with intense, complex fruity aromas, that transferred well to the palate. In the mouth, the complexity increased with a range of interesting flavours. These oils were fresh and lively, very well balanced, rounded, and harmonious and had excellent persistence.”

“If I could sum up the oils in one word, it would be ‘crafted’. Producers are crafting higher quality oils than ever before.”

Constructive comment from the judges … While quality overall was lauded, and no extra virgin olive oil entries in this year’s competition failed the chemical analysis, a number were not awarded medals. Judging comment attributed this to issues including: lack of fruit freshness, aroma and flavour intensity; oily mouthfeel; short length; unbalanced bitterness, pungency, and astringency; and/or evidence of defects.

What makes a Gold medal flavoured oil?

On first impression a gold medal flavoured oil is fresh and fault free. On smelling the oil, it shows excellent intensity of the flavouring element/s (lemon, rosemary, etc.). It has varying attractive aromas highlighting the flavouring element/s and where possible fresh olive oil. The aromas and flavours are authentic and pure representations of the flavouring (not artificial).

In the mouth the aromas transfer to the palate and are as intense or more intense than on the nose. It tastes fresh, vibrant, and clean. The oil feels light (not oily) on the palate. The oil’s level of bitterness, pepper and/or astringency is balanced with the flavouring element/s. A gold medal oil has a flavourful lingering finish.

A gold medal flavoured oil showcases the flavouring element/s purely, and will be fresh, balanced, complex and harmonious. You will want to get in the kitchen and start cooking.

complexity and ‘wow’ factors that make for outstanding oils”.

“Some had good aromas but then did not deliver the same intensity on the palate and the reverse was also noted - a very low aroma with increased intensity in the mouth.

“Some of the oils were unbalanced, with low fruitiness and high levels of pungency and/or bitterness. Many of them were no longer fresh.”

Causative factors suggested by the various judging panels include:

over-ripe olives harvested

• elevated paste temperatures during processing

poor/less than ideal storage conditions, especially for delicate oils

*as these often have low polyphenol levels, storage in stainless steel under an inert gas and at temperatures of around 15°C are essential to maintain their quality.

• deficient post-harvest management, promoting yeast proliferation *time from harvest to processing is the most crucial element here.

Go for Gold!

Full results

The results listings for all medal-winning entries, along with more detailed competition information and statistics, are available by downloading the official 2022 AIOA Results Book from the competition website: www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au

What makes a Gold medal table olive?

On first impression a gold medal table olive has an attractive fresh-looking appearance, with an absence of skin blemishes, pock marks and bruises. The olive’s colour, size and shape are consistent with the class entered. The olive’s aroma (and brine) is fresh and fault free. On the palate the olive’s skin is firm but easy to bite (not tough). Flesh on green olives is firm but not woody. Flesh on black olives has reduced levels of firmness (i.e. softer) but not mushy.

Enrique García-Tenorio, Spanish panel

“Tasting once again the excellent Australian EVOO is for me an unforgettable experience that I look forward to every year and thank the Australian International Olive Awards for making it possible. The Aussie oils that we have tasted usually have a friendly mouth entry, which gives way to a feeling of spiciness and bitterness, that appears in its fair measure, perfectly coupled with complex and countless notes of fruitiness, to give rise to a remarkable sense of balance and persistence.”

“What a varied selection of flavoured oils we have this year. The rich and fragrant aromas and flavours range from citrus and truffle to garlic, chilli, and rosemary. All the flavoured oils are unique in their representation, and it was an absolute pleasure to taste and enjoy them. Hats off to the olive growers and blenders for doing a tremendous job and mastering the art of making delicious, flavoured oils.”

Spanish judge Dr Agustí Romero said that, while defects were “neither detected nor suspected” for the majority of samples tasted by his panel, “some less relevant quality problems were detected. These related to deficient post-harvest management that promotes yeast proliferation. This can degrade part of the flesh biophenols, producing volatile phenols that can mask the fruitiness with anomalous odor, resulting in a lower total score.

“The same happens when oils are not

What makes a Gold medal extra virgin olive oil?

When first smelling a gold medal extra virgin olive oil it is fresh and clean (fault free). It shows excellent fruit intensity with a variety of different aromas and scents.

filtered, mainly when they came from twophase systems.”

The New Zealand panel noted that, while all oils “were of an acceptable extra virgin quality, only a handful had the vibrancy,

If you missed out on a medal this year, or received a disappointing point score, please take the judges’ constructive feedback onboard. Then access the wealth of bestpractice resources and information available through the AOA, and use them all to achieve Gold medal quality in 2023 - and beyond.

The olive has excellent olive flavour. Any added flavourings or fillings (herb, EVOO, garlic) compliment the olive flavour, not overwhelm it. Bitterness, acidity, and salt levels are balanced, and none are overpowering.

A gold medal table olive is balanced, has great texture and is complex, with a long flavourful finish. You will want to eat the whole bowl.

“I have been involved in judging table olives since the inception of these classes in our competitions. have watched the standard rise with each show. I am aware of how difficult it can be to produce uniform product and am in awe of the standard some of our producers have reached.”

“It was a very good season for delicate oils, flavoured oils, and table olives, all of which made our job of judging best in those categories very challenging. The delicate extra virgin olive oils stood out for aroma smoothness and integration of lovely flavours.”

In the mouth the aromas transfer to the palate and are as intense or more intense than on the nose. It tastes fresh, vibrant, and clean. The oil feels light and creamy (not oily) on the palate. Depending on oil style, bitterness, pepper and/or astringency are present in varying degrees. A mild oil has little or no levels of pepper and pungency whilst a robust oil has significantly higher levels. Either way, they are in balance and do not overpower the fruit or mouthfeel.

A gold medal oil has a flavourful, lingering finish. The oil is fresh, balanced, complex and harmonious. You will want to drink it.

Peta Zito, Adelaide panel

Margaret Edwards, New Zealand panel

Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay, Sydney and Adelaide panels

Sue James, Wagga Wagga and South Australian panels

Michael Esposito, Adelaide, South Australian panel

Chris and Andrea McCallum, Devon Siding Olives - Devon North, VIC

• Champion Victorian EVOO - Devon Siding Olives Frantoio

• Gold - Devon Siding Olives Frantoio

• Gold - Devon Siding Olives Hardy’s Mammoth Chris and Andrea missed out on attending the AIOA Presentation Dinner due to a flood-induced flight cancellation, so donned their gala outfits at home to celebrate their award.

Anne and Robert Ashbolt, Ashbolt FarmDerwent Valley, TAS Gold - Ashbolt Farm Ashbolt RL

• Silver - Ashbolt Farm Ashbolt FH

AIOA President Mike Thomsett with Rod Lingard, The Olive Press - Wellington, NZ

• Reserve Champion Italian Varietal - The Olive Press Pressed Gold Leccino

Gold - The Olive Press Pressed Gold Leccino

• Gold - The Olive Press Pressed Gold Picual

• Gold - The Olive Press Kaffir Lime Agrumato

• Gold - The Olive Press Midori Yuzu Olive Oil Silver - The Olive Press Rosmarino Blu Toscano Agrumato

Joo-Yee Lieu and Bruce Spinks, Wollundry Grove OlivesBrucedale, NSW

• Gold - Wollundry Grove Olives Spanish Blend Gold - Wollundry Grove Olives Distinctive

• Silver - Wollundry Grove Olives Delicate Travel issues stopped Joo-Yee and Bruce Spinks from making the award presentations, so they sent another of their creative grove shots to celebrate their 2022 AIOA success.

Have you ordered your AIOA entry product shots?

For those who haven’t seized the opportunity yet, here’s a quick reminder that entry of the AIOA now comes with yet another benefit – the opportunity to purchase the professional product images taken for the official AIOA Results Booklet.

The reflective nature of glass means bottles are a pain to photograph, and lighting is difficult with any form of packaging and product shape, so good product shots are hard to achieve for the average producer. And it’s expensive to have them taken professionally, particularly for small producers with only a few products.

So the official AIOA product images are now being made available to entrants at a minimal cost, to assist with marketing and promotion of your products.

Taken by a professional photographer, each is a stock shot with a white background. This makes them very versatile, and able to be included in any promotional opportunity: for use on your own website, Facebook page or Instagram feed, or provided to media.

This is a great opportunity to present your products in a professional light - don’t miss out, you can still order yours now!

Jenny Masters and Geoff Treloar, W2OlivesWagga Wagga, NSW

Champion Mild EVOO - W2Olives EVOO

• Gold - W2Olives EVOO

• Gold - W2O Basil Agrumato

Reserve Champion Mild EVOO - Pendleton Olive Estate Reserve

• Gold - Pendleton Olive Estate Reserve Gold - Pendleton Olive Estate Classic

• Gold - Pendleton Olive Estate Blood Orange Agrumato

• Silver - Pendleton Olive Estate Lemon Agrumato

The artwork is provided in a high-resolution format, so is also suitable for reproduction in hard print - e.g. magazines, flyers and brochures.

The cost is $35 (+ GST) per product shot, which can be ordered online from the AOA website: www.australianolives.com.au - resources - shop - decals

AOA President Mike Thomsett with Andrew Taylor, Pendleton Olive Estate - Pendleton, SA

Tradition and technology a winning combination for Diana Olive Oil

Whether via nature or nurture, many of us seem destined for our life’s chosen path. For Diana Olive Oil’s Domenic Scarfo that path was olive oil production, with both the passion and talent for the process literally passed down in his blood.

The South Australian producer was one of the highest achievers of the 2022 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA), taking the trophy for Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Show - Commercial Volume for the Diana Novello. Earning a judges’ score of 94/100, the Gold medal winning Novello was also named Champion Medium Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Champion South Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

The accolades topped off a great year for the Diana team, following hot on the heels of high-pointed Gold and Silver medals at the 2022 Royal Adelaide Olive Awards. They add to a 10-year cache of awards earned across Diana’s range of EVOOs, encompassing Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and Best of Show Awards, along with three successive Processor of the Year trophies at the SA awards.

Background

Located in the renowned Fleurieu Peninsula food and wine region, 45km south of Adelaide, Diana Olive Oil is a family business spanning three generations.

Having grown up in the business, Domenic Scarfo is now General Manager, and said the company’s business - and brand reputation - has been built on a combination of shared family tradition and a commitment

to ongoing innovation and improvement.

“The Scarfo family have always been involved in olive oil production, even before the family migrated to Australia, so it was only natural that it continued once they were here,” he said.

“For my generation, it’s what we’ve known and done all our lives. Caring for the grove, harvesting, processing … these are skill and techniques that have been learned from previous generations, that are then constantly changing and evolving as newer techniques and technology is integrated.

“Diana Olive Oil pioneered the traditional basket press process in 1989, using olives grown on the family estate, and subsequently commenced processing for other growers.

“Through continual research and innovation in olive oil manufacturing, we established the business as an important industry production resource. We have evolved and expanded to other services over the years and now provide processing and bulk storage services through our state-ofthe-art equipment and facilities.

“Our advisory service also allows olive growers from around the region to utilise the

skills, experience and facilities at Diana Olive Oil to maximise the results they get from their own crop.

Quality by control

“Using proven techniques to deliver outstanding quality, we service customers both locally and globally. By controlling the complete cycle from planting, harvesting, and processing through to packaging and labelling, these customers can be confident

that their olive oil has been produced to the most rigorous standards, managed in a controlled and carefully co-ordinated system.

“Our consistent commitment to service and quality over the years has enabled Diana to become well-known as a reliable, costeffective company with excellent results in terms of high-end sustainable manufacturing and product management across Australia and overseas.”

“The experience gained from contract processing - coupled with ongoing innovation and modern technology - has certainly contributed to producing award-winning products.”

Diana Olive Oil is a family business spanning three generations, including cousins Domenic (left) and Anthony Scarfo.

Romley Estate’s Monica Parvin entrusted her processing to Domenic and the Diana team to ensure the freshness and quality of her awardwinning oils.

"... we haven’t limited ourselves to sourcing from one grove or certain varietals, but we draw from all across the state, and from as many growers as possible, to ensure we can deliver the best product outcome for each of our customers.”

Global connections

As with all our Olivegrower profile interviews, we finished by asking Domenic what he loves best about being an olive oil producer and also what he really doesn’t enjoy.

The first part was simple:

“The opportunity to meet new people across a global industry.”

The second was “not applicable”, which we guess means he’s pretty positive about the industry, and his role in it.

It’s funny how often that’s the case with olive people!

And Domenic said his job is dedicated to make sure that continues.

“My role within the business is to ensure that Diana is represented as a national leader, achieving the best outcome for both growers and customers.”

Statewide sourcing

While they originally pressed only their own estate-grown olives, Domenic said Diana’s wide experience in meeting client needs has seen them move to a multi-sourcing model.

“Diana prides itself on its ability to provide a superior service to its customers and that includes ensuring suitability of product for each client we work with,” he said.

‘That means we haven’t limited ourselves to sourcing from one grove or certain varietals, but we draw from all across the state, and from as many growers as possible, to ensure we can deliver the best product outcome for each of our customers.”

Meeting a processing need

Contract processing is a substantial element of Diana Olive Oil’s overall business and Domenic said it has provided benefits across the board.

“We naturally transitioned into contract processing after seeing a need for it within the industry. Meeting that demand has allowed the business to grow, and has led to Diana Olive Oil being able to offer the range of products and services that it does today,” he said.

“We also believe the experience gainedcoupled with ongoing innovation and modern technology - has certainly contributed to producing award-winning products.”

Catering for demand

Those products include both oils for other customer brands across Australia and overseas, and Diana’s own self-labelled products. Once again aimed at meeting demand, Diana’s products come in flavour and size options which cater for a range of consumer tastes and needs.

2023 OLIVE OIL PROCESSING WOR K SHOP

2 Day Workshop, Rio Vista Olives, Mypolonga, SA.

Thursday, 13 April

9.00am – 5.00pm: Principles and practices

Evening: Networking dinner

Venue: Rio Vista Olives, Dinner TBC

Friday, 14 April

9.00am – 1.00pm: Practical processing session and tasting of trial oils

1.00pm – 1.45pm: Lunch

Venue: Rio Vista Olives

*Workshop includes on-demand pre-event webinar

Cost: $275 levy payers/AOA members; $375 others Visit

Registrations close 4 April 2023. Numbers limited – register now, don’t miss out!

Diana Olive Oil has consistently gained accolades at competitions across the country, with Domenic Scarfo collecting the trophy for Champion Non-Packaged (Bulk) Extra Virgin Olive Oil at the 2018 Australian International Olive Awards.

The AIOA Best of Show-winning Novello EVOO (‘The new one’) is produced from the very first harvest of the season, with select batches of olives used to make a flavoursome, character-driven olive oil. Minimal production means it is sold only in a 250ml bottle.

Diana Red Label EVOO is made from riper olives picked mid-way through the harvest season. A ‘sweeter’ oil with a milder fruit intensity, the red label will not overpower the flavour of food and is ideal for general cooking. It is available in a range of package sizes to suit varying consumer needs, from 250ml and 500ml glass bottles to two litre casks and - for higher volume EVOO usersa 20 litre bulk pack with pourer tap. They also sell a 20 litre bulk pack Chef's Blend, providing the food service industry with high quality EVOO at an economical price.

Factoring the difference

While it’s clear that adoption of new techniques and technology is integral to Diana’s success and reputation, Domenic says he doesn’t think they really do anything differently to other high-quality producers. Rather, he said, it’s about knowing the ‘DNA’ of the fruit you’re working with.

“We believe it’s a combination of soil, climate and variety that makes a really good oil, and then the experience to know how that will translate into the oil,” he said.

“All of those factors make a difference to the oil quality, as some locations and varieties may favour a particular soil or climate that others don’t.”

Acknowledging achievement

We all know that there’s a lot of time and effort that goes into making that translation, and Domenic said that winning Best of Show at the Australian International is a welcome reward.

“It’s great acknowledgment for all the hard work put in,” he said.

“From a business point of view, it’s also a good tool to show our customers what we are achieving. People purchasing in the category understand that EVOO is the quality grade to purchase for "the better oil" and, while I don’t believe that consumers as a whole specifically target award-winning oils, their decision may be supplemented by relevant awards.

“I think these competitions are good for the industry too, to showcase their best of the best.”

More information: www.dianaoliveoil.com.au.

R&D Insights contains the latest levy-funded R&D project updates, research findings and related industry resources, which all happen under the Hort Innovation Olive Fund.

Hort Innovation partners with leading service providers to complete a range of R&D projects to ensure the long-term sustainability and profitability of the olive industry.

2023 AOA Processing Workshop moves to SA

The AOA team have planning well underway for another round of industry knowledge-sharing events, run as part of the ongoing olive levy project Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL18000).

Among the first events locked in is the annual Processing Workshop, one of the most in-demand events on the AOA’s calendar. Previously held in Boort, Victoria (and online during COVID lockdowns), the workshop is this year being held at Mypolonga, in South Australia’s Murraylands region, hosted by award-winning producers Rio Vista Olives.

“It demonstrated that it’s not

Big picture learning

Making great EVOO is all about ensuring quality at every stage of the process, so the comprehensive twoday course covers it all - from grove management for optimal fruit quality to best-practice processing and storage. Along the way attendees learn a lot about olive oil chemistry, and get the answers to many of those frustrating “why did/does that happen to my

just a case of getting your olives in the machine and turning it on: you really have to investigate your fruit and then work with what you’ve got.”

International production consultant Pablo Canamasas will take attendees through the fruit testing and preparation regime before heading inside for processing trials.

State-of-the-art equipment, combined with a commitment to service and quality, has seen Diana grow to become a respected industry production resource servicing customers across Australia and overseas.

With a judges’ score of 94/100, the Gold medal-winning Diana Novello was awarded the trophies for Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Show - Commercial Volume, Champion Medium Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Champion South Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

"Caring for the grove, harvesting, processing … these are skill and techniques that have been learned from previous generations, that are then constantly changing and evolving as newer techniques and technology is integrated."

2023

When:

AOA Processing Workshop

13-14 April 2023

*Pre-event webinar on demand

Where:

Rio Vista Olives, 262 Carawatha Drive, Mypolonga, SA

Presenters:

International Olive Oil Consultant

Pablo Canamasas - Quality, Chemistry, Processing

Rio Vista Olives Master Miller

Jared Bettio - Processing

Rio Vista Olives Marketing

Manager Sarah Ascuitto - EVOO

Tasting/Identifying Defects

Cost:

$275 - AOA members/levy payers

$375 - non-member/processor/ other industry

More information: www.olivebiz.com.au

oil?” questions, as the focus moves firmly onto the practical aspects of oil extraction.

Expert presenters

Guiding participants through all this information is Pablo Canamasas, international olive oil consultant, processing expert and EVOO judge. He will be joined this year by Rio Vista Olives’ Master Miller Jared Bettio, a multi-award-winning olive grower and EVOO producer. Rio Vista also provide contract processing services for growers across the Adelaide Hills and Murraylands regions, so Jared knows a lot about dealing with widely varying batches of fruit.

Their combined wealth of knowledge and practical experience will ensure complex detail presented in a userfriendly format, making this a course for growers and producers at every stage and capacity.

Primed to process

An integral part of the workshop program is the pre-event webinar, which has been recorded and is available on-demand for registrants for viewing prior to the physical course.

Run by Canamasas, the webinar covers a good chunk of the course’s theoretical learning, with topics including grove management practices and their impact on quality; determining optimal harvesting times; oil storage and filtration; and a comprehensive look at the parameters determining olive oil quality and shelf life.

What information do YOU want?

Two of the “sell-out” elements of the industry communications and extension project are the national field day programs and the annual production workshops. Both are locked into the continuing five-year program, with some elements confirmed, but the organisers are keen to know what other topics you would like to see covered.

• Field days: what would you like them to focus on? Where should they be held in your state?

• Workshops: currently cover processing of EVOO and table olives. Are you interested in learning about producing flavoured olive oil?

Suggestions for webinar topics, fact sheets and other project outputs are also most welcome.

Please email your feedback to Liz at secretariat@australianolives.com.au. And many thanks to those of you who have already sent through your feedback!

and processes from grove to finished product.

Topics covered on Day 1 include fruit preparation; crushing and malaxing; horizontal and vertical centrifugation; impacts on oil quality; extraction efficiency; settling and storage.

The Day 2 program moves on to hands-on demonstrations of the processing methods and practices discussed the previous day. Fruit will be processed using different paste preparation approaches to evaluate oil extraction efficiency and quality, and the session will finish with a

tasting of the oils obtained during the trials and discussion around the results.

A networking dinner on Day 1 is also included, along with lunches and morning/afternoon tea breaks.

Register early

Places for the Processing Workshop are limited and sell out quickly each year, so if you’re keen to learn the science and best practice of producing high-quality EVOO, jump online and book your spot NOW! Register via ‘Events’ on the OliveBiz website - www.olivebiz.com.au

Churchill Fellowship applications now open

Applications are now open for the 2023 round of Churchill Fellowships, offering the opportunity to travel overseas and investigate a topic or issue you are passionate about.

Rounding out the presenting team is Rio Vista Marketing Manager Sarah Ascuitto, an AIOA judge and internationally qualified Olive Oil Sommelier. A master of descriptives with a brilliant palate, Sarah will take attendees through a tasting of EVOOs to identify significant characteristics, including common defects.

Providing an overview of the process prior to the workshop, the webinar allows attendees to get a handle on the science and theory before they experience the practical side.

Packed program

The rest of the program happens at Rio Vista Olives’ Mypolonga grove and mill, where Canamasas and Bettio will work through the practices

Churchill Fellowships are a nonacademic award available to Australians from all walks of life, with no formal qualifications required to meet the criteria. Recipients receive fully-funded travel for four to eight weeks, and support from the Winston Churchill Trust, so they can spend time with international leaders in their field of interest, visiting and gleaning insights from abroad, and then bring their newfound knowledge and ideas home to benefit their industry or community.

Horticulture Fellowships

Hort Innovation has joined forces with the Churchill Trust to offer three

Fellowships annually, each valued at around $26,000, to drive innovation and transformation within Australia’s horticulture industry.

Run under the ongoing project

Churchill Fellowships (LP16002), the Fellowships are open to any industry participant with an idea for a research project that can benefit the horticultural sector. The topic of focus is completely up to the applicant, with a diverse range covered by the more than 4600 Fellows involved since the program started in 1965.

Each Fellow designs their own itinerary, however, applicants are expected to have worked through

the issue thoroughly in Australia, exhausting locally available knowledge. Importantly, they must also be able to demonstrate the potential benefits to their sector or community, and be willing to share the findings on their return.

The application round closes 1 May 2023 and recipients will be announced in September 2023, for travel in 2024.

For more information and to apply, go to www.churchilltrust.com.auBecome a Fellow

Churchill Fellowships are funded by the Hort Frontiers Leadership Fund, with co-investment from the Winston Churchill Memorial Foundation and contributions from the Australian Government.

Processing for Rio Vista and other growers, Master Miller Jared Bettio has extensive knowledge of processing machinery and methodology.

“The results of the trial show that a few minor adjustments make a huge difference in terms of your output.”

AIOA judge and internationally qualified Olive Oil Sommelier Sarah Ascuitto will lead a tasting of EVOOs to identify common defects and characteristics.

“It’s a fabulous course and I learned so much. We’ll definitely be changing practices from this.”

Hort trial a shot in the arm for Xylella immunisation

Protection from the olive industry’s number one disease risk, Xylella fastidiosa, could be on the horizon, thanks to an $8.7M investment by Hort Innovation to trial tree immunisations against the deadly bacteria. The project will also trial immunisation against Huanglongbing (HLB), a disease with similarly devastating outcomes for citrus trees.

Hort Innovation chief executive Brett Fifield said the project aims to safeguard key Australian horticulture industries by immunising trees with RNA-based technology, similar to coronavirus vaccines for humans. The RNA immunisations cause the tree’s cells to produce chemicals targeting the specific pathogens.

Investing in preparedness

“Xylella and HLB are two of the most threatening bacteria in fruit and nut trees worldwide, and if they found their way into Australia, the results would be catastrophic,” Fifield said.

“While these threats are not in Australia currently, being ready is crucial. This project is about preparedness, and adds to the more than $60M investment Hort Innovation is delivering in biosecurity measures to support and protect Australia’s $15.2B horticulture industries.

“The trial will begin with citrus and table grapes, and we will explore opportunities for this technology in almonds, avocados, olives and summerfruit.”

Combining technologies

The trial will be delivered through Hort Innovation and led by USbased agricultural biotechnology company Silvec Biologics, alongside the University of Queensland (UQ). Researchers will employ Silvec Biologics’ RNA-based plant immunisation technology, combined with Australian-developed BioClay™ technology to improve the delivery.

"The main challenge for RNA-based technology is not the development of the active ingredient but rather the delivery mechanism,” Silvec Biologics president Dr Rafael Simon said.

The buzz on BioClay™

BioClay™ is an innovative topical protection medium which primes the plant’s own defences - in a similar way to how a vaccine works - helping the plant to attack specific crop pests and pathogens naturally.

It was developed through a three-year Hort Innovation multi-industry levy project, Novel topical vegetable, cotton virus and whitefly protection (VG16037), with research led by the University of Queensland. Run from 2018 to 2021, the project had a range of co-investors and aimed to minimise the economic impact of pests and diseases in major crops.

Sustainable protection: the issues

The project was grounded on two issues around crop protection:

The solution

Using clay particles as carriers, the research team developed the BioClay™ technology to deliver pesttargeting RNAi effectors that are stable, do not wash off and provide an extended window of protection. The clay particles naturally degrade on the leaf surface, alleviating any concerns about residues.

Methodology

This project focused on developing the BioClay™ platform to target several major crop viruses and Silverleaf whitefly (SLW).

“BioClay™ protects the doublestranded RNA, enhancing the active ingredient delivery into trees, and has been validated for viruses, insect pests and fungi in multiple crop host systems. We will therefore leverage the locally-developed BioClay™ platform to improve the introduction of our vectors into trees.”

US trials ensure Australian biosecurity safety

Hort Innovation Acting Head of Production R&D Vino Rajandran said that, while this is an Australian-led project, the trial will be run off-shore.

“The trials are actually taking place in the US, where the pathogens are already present. There is no Xylella or HLB here, so it’s all safe that way,” he said.

“The biotech company are working to deliver a ‘vaccine’ by inoculating the budwood and introducing that into the trees. That will then stay in the tree system and fight the Xylella or other pathogen. And UQ will see if they can use BioClay™ as a system to affectively deliver the vaccine.

“They’re also going to test how persistent the vaccine will be; whether it will stay in the plant system and provide ongoing protection. That will happen in California, looking at table grapes and Xylella.

“If the trials are successful, the aim for the future would be to use the BioClay™ delivery for existing orchards, with new orchards established from nursery stock grown from inoculated mother trees.

Olives in scope

Rajandran said that while the initial work is on citrus and grape vines, olive growers will benefit from the project.

“Olive work is being done within the scope of the five-year project,” he said.

“By year four we will have at least a preliminary outcome and will be doing some lab-based tests with olives at that point.

“And once the technology is proven and marketable, it will be brought to Australia. We are a prioritised market now because of our investment, so if it does work we’ll definitely get access to it.”

Industry protection

AOA CEO Michael Southan said the technology would be a game-changer in the case of a local Xylella incursion.

“It’s the difference between being able to deal with Xylella if it becomes an established disease in Australia vs the industry disappearing if it did,” he said.

Firstly, the recognition that resistance, lack of pathogen specificity, residues, run-off into waterways and potential harm to human health and the environment are major issues with current crop protection practices. To this end, there was an obvious need for a new nonGM environmentally-friendly, safe and sustainable crop protection approach.

Secondly, the opportunities presented by RNA interference (RNAi) - and the limitations in its use.

RNAi is a strategy to engineer transgenic crops for the management of viruses, insects, nematodes and fungi.

*Transgenic describes an organism that contains genetic material into which DNA from an unrelated organism has been artificially introduced.

Topical application or spraying of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) without the need for genetic modification presents a novel crop protection platform which is almost like ‘nature versus nature’, where a gene sequence from the pathogen is used to kill the pathogen itself. However, a major obstacle to commercialisation for horticultural use has been the instability of topically applied dsRNA on plants.

The two components of the platform, dsRNA and clay, were designed, modified, engineered and synthesised to industry-relevant parameters, including selection and isolation of the genes critical to survival of the viruses and SLW.

Spray application of BioClay™ for viruses was validated through multiple glasshouse and field trials, where it was found to provide protection against the viruses with no adverse effect on plant growth. For SLW, the BioClay™ platform was developed to target all stages of whitefly (eggs, nymphs, and adults), with the spray resulting in significant egg and nymph mortality. It was shown that dsRNA can enter into leaves of different host plants, moves systemically in both directions and is also taken up by whitefly feeding on the treated plants.

The future

While the technology still needs to be validated at scale, the researchers concluded that:

“The Australian-owned and invented non-GM, nontoxic, target specific, easy to adopt and environment, grower, and consumer-friendly BioClay™ platform means clean, green produce for domestic consumption and exports, and preparedness for biosecurity threats.”

More information: www.horticulture.com.au.

“It very positive, and is a great example of using technology and research from other areas - in this case medicine - to develop a new technology to protect the Australian tree crop from these diseases.

“But this is a long way off and in the meantime, it’s important for the olive industry to observe and promote best practice in biosecurity measures to ensure Xylella doesn’t get to us before we can get to it.

“It’s not an opportunity to drop our guard: we need to maintain continuing vigilance in terms of biosecurity on our properties.”

About Hort Frontiers

This tree immunisation trial is funded by the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative, which facilitates collaborative, cross-industry investments on longer-term and more complex themes identified as critical for Australian horticulture by 2030 and beyond. The aim is to better equip Australian horticulture for the future ahead through innovation and transformational R&D.

Hort Frontiers funds are sourced from a wide range of co-investors, including commercial businesses, research agencies, government departments and education institutions, as well as Australian Government contributions. Levy funds can also be invested if advised by an individual industry's Strategic Investment Advisory Panel.

While the individual goals of co-investment partners may differ, Hort Frontiers projects need to benefit all of horticulture to be considered suitable investments.

Sara Bakhshi on Unsplash.

2021/22 horticulture statistics now available

The latest edition of the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook is now available, providing data across the Australian horticulture industry for the year ending June 2022.

The data shows growth in both horticulture production volumes and values since the Handbook’s inception in 2012/13, with an additional 850,000T (tonnes) produced in 2021/22 and the annual value up by $6.15B (billion).

Overall horticulture figures 2021-2022

The horticulture sector overall achieved $15,622.4B in production value in 2021-2022, an increase of 3% from $15,241.1B in 2020-2021. There was mixed performance across the various commodity groups, with the major contributors of value growth being the vegetable and nut categories – which increased 12.9% and 16% respectively.

Total production

Total production across all horticultural products in 2021/22 was 6,545,575T (6,629,506T year ending June 2021).

Fruit accounted for well over a third of that figure at 2,551,741T (2,542,439T), with olives at 77,000T (130,000T).

Total value

Total value of all horticultural products in 2021/22 was $15,622.4M ($15,236.6M), with fruit again accounting for more than a third of that amount at $5,521.9M ($5,752.1M).

The production value of olives was $95.5m ($161.2M), ranking the industry at 18th (12th) in the fruit category.

Total exports

For the year ending June 2022, Australia exported $2.75B worth of horticultural products ($2.65B), with fresh fruit once again the largest value export grouping at $1,224.8M ($1,216.4M). Processed fruit accounted for $149.8M of the total ($154.7M), including olives and olive oil at $23.1M ($13.5M).

Total imports

For the year ending June 2022, Australia imported $2.84B ($3.03B)

Olives Overview

Olive oil international trade

Olives Overview

worth of horticultural products. Processed fruit was again the largest value import grouping at $1,081M ($1,111.7M), including olives and olive oil valued at $175.7M ($244.2M).

Olives Overview

The handbook covers four industry category sections - Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts, and Other horticulture.

Undoubtedly the most important element of the Fruit section (to us, anyway!) is the Olives Overview, providing a snapshot of the Australian olive industry for the 2021/22 year.

Key statistics include:

ƒ state-by-state production for the year has remained stable over recent years, with percentages remaining at: Victoria 69%, South

Australia and WA 11% each (WA 10% in 2020/21)) New South Wales 9%, and Queensland and Tasmania both <1% (QLD 1% in 2020/21);

ƒ the production area recorded also remained stable at 21,250 ha;

The international trade figures for 2021/22 saw differing outcomes for olive oil exports from and imports to Australia:

ƒ 1,758T of olive oil was exported, down 15% on the 2020/21 figure of 2,061T. This followed the previous downward trend of a 23% reduction in 2019/20 (from 2,681T);

ƒ consequently the value of olive oil exports also decreased, but only by 10%, from $14.2M in 2020/2021 to $M12.8 in 2021/22. This is approximately two-third of the 2019/2020 value figure of $M18.8;

ƒ reversing the previous threeyear trend, olive oil imports also decreased, the 2021/22 figure of just 22,165T equating to a 40% reduction on the 37,201T in 2020/21. This is also a significant reduction from the 36,467T imported in 2019/20;

Olive Oil International Trade

For the year ending June 2022, Australia imported 22,165 tonnes of olive oil ( this number does not include table olives). The exports and imports of olive oil over the last five financial years are profiled in the graph below, where imports are counted as negative tonnes.

1.25kg

ƒ annual production decreased by 41%, from the previous year’s record 130,000T to 77,000T. This is, however, a substantial increase on the 2019/20 harvest figure of 50,000T (previous ‘off-year’);

2021/22 based on the volume supplied.

ƒ production value also saw a parallel decrease, down 41% from $M161.2 in 2021/22 to $M55.5 ($M62 in 2019/20);

DRAFT : Not for distribution

ƒ around 98% of the fruit crop was extracted for oil, producing 12,049T of olive oil; again, a substantial decrease from 20,678T in 2020/21 but more than 50% higher than the 8,662T produced in 2019/20;

ƒ the remaining fruit was used for table olive production, once again almost all for the domestic market;

ƒ the wholesale value of oil produced was $201.5M, down from $320.6M in 2020/21 and also the $M224 figure in 2019/20;

ƒ consumption of olive oil per capita, based on volume supplied, was 1.25kg, substantially lower than the 2.17kg figure in 2020/21 and also that of the previous two years.

ƒ the value of olive oil imports also saw a 35% decrease, down from $175.8M in 2020/21 to $114.2M in 2021/22 ($178.8M in 2019/20).

Note: no figures or information are provided for table olives.

While the dramatic decline (-40%) in olive oil imports from 2020/21 to 2021/22 is no doubt partially due to the impacts of the COVID-induced global supply chain disruption, we can also hope that this means that Australian olive oil (hence EVOO quality) has filled the gap and many more consumers are now aware of the exceptional quality of locallyproduced EVOO.

About the Handbook

Now in its 8th edition, the Handbook is the leading resource for national horticulture statistics and market information. Produced annually by Hort Innovation, it contains the latest production, international trade, processing volumes and fresh market distribution data available, across 75 horticultural categories.

It captures the previous financial year’s data, drawn from supply chain sources including international trade

statistics and industry peak bodies.

It includes information on retail and food service use, exports and imports, share of production by State and Territory, wholesale value, and volume. The information available varies depending on the product and availability of relevant data.

Search online or download

The handbook is published as an interactive online dashboard enabling search functionality, with formats for both computer and mobile phone use. The original handbook format is also

available as separate downloadable PDF documents covering five category sections: Fruit (including olives), Vegetables, Nuts, Other Horticulture and Trade Analysis.

Both versions are available at www. horticulture.com.au/hortstats.

The Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2021-22 was produced by the across-industry levy investment project Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2021-22 to 202324 (MT21006).

DRAFT : Not for d

Agri-Climate Outlooks to improve Australian agriculture’s climate resilience

Hort Innovation has joined forces with nine other research and development corporations (RDCs) to launch a $19m investment to tackle climate change impacts on agriculture.

Led by Agricultural Innovation Australia, the Agri-Climate Outlooks project will build industry understanding and management of short-term climate risks and foster long-term resilience.

The four-year program will enable the Bureau of Meteorology (The Bureau, formerly BOM) to improve and greatly enhance seasonal outlook services provided to Australian producers. The Bureau estimates the initiative could potentially generate up to $68 million in value annually for agriculture.

Collaborative RDC program

Agri-Climate Outlooks is funded through cross-sectoral investment via a collaboration of 10 of Australia’s Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs): Meat & Livestock Australia, Australian Eggs, Australian Wool Innovation, Dairy Australia, AgriFutures Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Sugar Research Australia and Hort Innovation.

AIA CEO Sam Brown described the collaboration as ‘ground-breaking’ in its structure, seeing RDCs working together on a large-scale project with common goals to help growers and production enterprises mitigate the impacts of climate.

“Climate variability is proving to have a significant and devastating impact on agricultural and food production, as we have seen with recent floods, extreme weather events and the subsequent food shortages and supply chain challenges,” he said.

“Growers need the most reliable, accurate and timely seasonal forecasting information to help them manage and adapt to changing

climates. This initiative will improve the relevance, trust and ease of use of climate information in their decisionmaking via a whole-of-sector approach to agricultural innovation.”

Specific and dedicated Agri-Climate Outlooks will develop decision-specific digital forecast tools and products tailored to specific commodities. The program will also support improvements to Australia's dedicated weather forecast modelling system.

“This initiative will involve deep engagement across the industry to identify high-impact weather- and climate-dependent decisions which growers make, and then design fitfor-purpose products and services to support those decisions,” The Bureau's General Manager, Agriculture and Water Matthew Coulton said.

"It will also contribute to improving the accuracy of the underlying forecast, which will provide benefit across all growing and production industries now and into the future."

Program workstreams

The Bureau will manage five AgriClimate Outlooks workstreams, between them covering products, services, support and industry capability building:

1. establishment of a dedicated team of agri-climate specialists to provide relevant insights to support growers with climate-related decision-making;

2. upskilling and training for growers and their advisers to accurately interpret and utilise weather, climate and water products to inform agricultural decisions;

3. development of easy to understand, decision-specific forecast products, delivered via appropriate digital channels;

4. development of methods to overlay skill on the Bureau's seasonal outlook products and promote the methods as

best practice to other seasonal outlook service providers; and

5. improvements to Australia's high calibre sovereign seasonal forecasting, through improved accuracy of multiweek through to seasonal forecasts. This will help ensure the future stability of the Australian agriculture sector and increase the potential magnitude of benefits delivered via Workstreams 1-4.

These workstreams strategically leverage previous investments made by RDCs and the Australian Government in improving climate and weather capabilities, including the Climate Services for Agriculture platform.

Climate Services for Agriculture

Delivered by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology, the Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) prototype aims to help Australian farmers to adapt to climate variability and related trends, thereby improving the viability of their businesses.

The CSA prototype is unique in that it helps users understand the historical, seasonal and future climate at their specific location, to inform decisions for their business. It provides:

ƒ historical data from 1961-2020;

ƒ seasonal forecasts from 1-3 months; and

ƒ future climate projections to 2030, 2050 and 2070.

Note: the platform is currently in prototype phase. It is being used to deliver relevant data and insights at a national scale and is focussed on eight pilot regions for consultation, evaluation and feedback purposes.

To find out more and access the prototype, go to www.agriculture.gov. au and search for Climate Services for Agriculture. : Growing season management checklist

®

Best Practice Series

Michael Southan, AOA OliveCare® Administrator

The OliveCare® program is all about helping olive producers achieve quality. With that aim, the Best Practice Series of articles discusses how to increase the yield of premium EVOO through best practice management strategies from the grove to the consumer.

Growing season management checklist

It was a wet, cool winter and spring for many growers on 2022 but summer finally arrived, with heatwaves across the country the norm during February. There’s still plenty of heat to come before harvest in most areas, and soil moisture in many groves is low, so it’s important to make sure your grove is properly set up - and maintained - both with best practice water use and optimal tree management. Here’s a reminder checklist to help with the tasks.

Water use

Be a responsible and efficient user of water:

• understand olive tree water requirements (based on tree physiology); undertake continuous monitoring of soil moisture and evaporation (application of remote sensing); improve soil moisture infiltration, holding capacity and drainage properties;

• maintain soil cover (plants/mulch) to manage soil temperature, conserve soil moisture and minimise water stress on trees;

• understand irrigation systems and design to suit your grove and supply situation (micro-irrigation, drippers, sprinklers);

• understand water trading and how to

secure a water licence; set annual water use targets (and stick to them);

• understand and measure water use efficiency (litres water/kg product).

Soil health and tree nutrition

Maintain the productive capacity of the soil without detriment to the environment:

• undertake regular soil testing and leaf analysis; understand fertiliser application methodsfoliar, fertigation, broadcasting;

• manage application of fertilisers to optimise plant uptake and minimise losses to run-off, leaching or gas emissions;

• improve soil biology/build soil carbon;

• build soil nitrogen via nitrogen fixation (cover crops);

• use soil amendments (gypsum, sulphur and lime) to correct sodic (alkali) and acidic soils.

Canopy management

Maintain a healthy, productive tree canopy:

• undertake pruning to obtain optimal canopy surface-to-volume ratio, in accordance with your method of harvest;

• undertake maintenance pruning to manage biennial bearing and achieve optimal light penetration and air flow (which also assists with effective spray coverage);

undertake renovation pruning on older trees to lower tree height, reduce wood and open the canopy to sunlight to generate new fruiting wood; monitor grove temperatures and implement frost and severe heat event mitigation strategies.

Integrated pest and disease management (IPDM)

Goal: To implement IPDM best practice to achieve effective and responsible agrichemical use.

IPDM 101

1. Better design of production systems to minimise pest problems: selection of appropriate olive cultivars, planting density and canopy architecture.

2. Implementation of improved cultural and grove hygiene management practices:

• know your pests, diseases and weeds (ref: Field Guide to Olive Pests, Diseases and Disorders in Australia);

• implement regular grove pest and disease monitoring to work out the best time to apply pesticides; use on-farm weather stations to monitor and identify high risk weather conditions (disease prediction models); act early and specifically - spot and target applications of pesticides.

• selection of “softer” pesticides where possible.

3. Implement environmental modifications to encourage beneficial organisms, and discourage pests: releases of mass-reared beneficial organisms (considerating what the beneficial organisms will feed on once the pests are eliminated).

Strategy 1 - Cultural management maintain good soil and tree health (happy trees);

• improve soil biology/build soil carbon through application of compost, which can include grove and processing waste;

• practise good grove hygiene, maintain quarantine and biosecurity best practices; manage the grove environment to reduce pest and disease pressure via canopy management, use of selected cover crops, control of alternative hosts, control of weed seed and perennial propagule production;

• change/improve management practices to minimise spread of pests and diseases

– harvest timing, selection of resistant olive cultivars, hygienic pruning practices.

Strategy 2 - Biological control:

• encourage presence of beneficial organisms in the grove by providing suitable habitat – use of cover crops, don’t use broad spectrum pesticides;

• mass release of beneficial organisms -

Integrated disease management reduces impact of Verticillium wilt

There are many overseas pests and diseases of both olives and other crops that are potential threats to the Australian olive industry. The current Biosecurity Plan for the Olive Industry lists five High Priority pests: included is Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahlia), in particular the cotton defoliating strain. It’s currently rare here but global travel means we need to be prepared, so let’s take a look at new research showing that IDM practices can successfully manage the disease.

The problem

Verticillium wilt, caused by the Verticillium dahliae fungus, is recognised as one of the most concerning diseases for the olive sector and is increasing in incidence in Spain, the leader in global olive production. This is primarily due to the planting of groves in soils formerly used for cotton, one of the main hosts for this pathogen; also the spread of a defoliating variant of the pathogen. This variant is more aggressive and eventually kills the olive tree.

Recognising that no individual control measures are completely effective in controlling Verticillium wilt, research efforts have been focused on resistant cultivars and the implementation of practices that reduce disease rates. The UCOLIVO group at the University of Cordoba has recently published research showing that an Integrated Disease Management (IDM) approach has resulted in relatively low levels of Verticillium wilt in a commercial olive orchard previously heavily affected by the pathogen.

entomopathogenic fungus/competitors/ antagonists.

Strategy 3 - Physical & mechanical control: use of physical traps/barriers - eg for apple weevil;

• use non-chemical weed control options - eg mulches, cover crops, grazing, cultivation, flame and steam weeding.

Strategy 4 - Use of selective (targeted) pesticides:

• spot spraying - strategically timed and limited area application to target pests and diseases;

• decrease chemical resistance strategies by rotating chemical groups as recommended;

• favour narrow spectrum (selective) pesticides;

• consider use of pesticides which disrupt pest development or behaviour - eg pheromones, insect growth regulators, oil sprays; consider natural or organic control methods (not always the least disruptive choice);

• use ‘double knockdown’ strategies for hard to control weeds.

More information and resources

The AOA has a wealth of resources available to assist in actioning the checklists above, available to access for free on the industry-owned OliveBiz websitewww.olivebiz.com.au - under the Projects dropdown.

Specific references are:

IPDM project resources (flyers, tutorials, Field Guide, Best Practice Manual, videos and presentations);

AOA webinars (including OliveCare® Best Practice webinars); and

• grove management videos (Weather stations, remote sensing and automation; Principles of canopy management/tree pruning; Making compost).

OliveCare® members can also access an additional range of Best Practice checklists

resource

Figure 1. Accumulated mortality of olive trees cvs. Picual (susceptible) and Frantoio (moderately resistant) by Verticillium dahliae in Granon orchard, with Integrated Disease Management of the Verticillium wilt applied, and Ancla orchard, with traditional agronomic practices applied. (A) = accumulated olive tree mortality without replanting; (B) = accumulated olive tree mortality with replanting.

The yearly mortality rate Picual trees was 5.6% on the Ancla grove and 3.1% on the Grañón grove, where the mortality rate of Frantoio trees was only 0.6%.

RGB images showing olive trees with the five different Verticillium wilt severity classes: (a) asymptomatic, (b) initial, (c) low, (d) moderate and (e) severe disease symptoms.

and

by signing in via the AOA website - www.australianolives.com

Increasing soil health and productivity reduces water and nutrition needs in the grove.

Method

The research was conducted over 12 years at two adjacent (100m apart, separated by an 18m-wide road) commercial olive groves in the province of Jaen, Andalusia.

Cause of this or in considered a biosecurity threat in Australia

eases

Known as Ancla and Grañon, both orchards originally belonged to the same owner and had been planted with V. dahlia-susceptible herbaceous crops (alfalfa, cotton, and tomato) for 25 years. Both were affected by

the Verticillium dahliae pathogen when they were planted with the Picual variety of olive trees in 1995-96 and 1996-97 respectively.

Since 1998, in the Grañon olive grove, a strategy integrating different practices has been used.

After removal of dead trees, the soil is solarized (covered with translucent plastic for 50-60 days in summer to kill the pathogen) and the trees replaced with varietals that are more resistant to Verticillium wilt, in this case Frantoio trees.

*Note: this was the first time the Frantoio variety of olive tree was commercially planted in Spain.

Further practices include chemical weed control to elimination alternative hosts, refraining from tilling, burning the waste from pruning and increasing the plantation density with more Frantoio olive trees.

Favoured by Cool and moist soils when daytime temperatures range between 20 and 25°C. Suppressed by higher temperatures. Common in land where alternate hosts (e.g. cotton, lucerne brassicas, Prunus species) have been grown.

Kriging estimate maps showing Verticillium-related mortality of olive trees in the two orchards over 12 years. Note: In 2000, in the IDM-managed Granon orchard, a tree of the resistant cv. Frantoio was planted in the middle of every four olive trees of the cv. Picual.

Verticillium wilt 101

Cause: Fungus Verticillium dahliae. There are different strains of this fungus that can infect olives; often referred to as “defoliating” or “non-defoliating” strains. Endemic strains are poorly characterized in Australian olives, however the cotton defoliating strain is considered a biosecurity threat.

Symptoms: One or more branches wilt, usually early in the growing season. Dead leaves remain on the tree. Roots are repeatedly infected over several seasons and trees gradually die. Internal tissue of lower stems may darken as the fungus disrupts the ring of sap-carrying tissue under the surface. Olive cultivars vary greatly in susceptibility, and symptoms may not be seen for four to eight years after planting.

Depending on the strain of the fungus, symptoms may develop rapidly in late winter and early spring or may progress as a slow decline through this period.

Transmission: Soilborne. The fungus survives in soil for many years and can infect the roots of a wide range of plants. It can spread in irrigation water and infected soil on farm machinery and tools.

Favoured by cool and moist soils when daytime temperatures range between 20-25°C. Suppressed by higher temperatures. Common in land where alternate hosts (e.g. cotton, lucerne, brassicas, Prunus species) have been grown.

Source: Revised Field Guide to Olive Pests, Diseases and Disorders, one of the many resources produced by the Hort Innovation-funded olive levy project OL17001, An Integrated Pest and Disease Management Extension Program for the Olive Industry.

The Guide provides updated Australian information, as well as inclusion of new exotic pests and diseases (such as Xylella and Verticillium wilt - defoliating strain) to assist in identification of possible pests, diseases and disorders.

You can access the guide on the OliveBiz website - www.olivebiz.com.au - Projects - IPDM Project - Outputs.

At the Ancla grove traditional management techniques were used, including tilling and replacing sick olive trees with trees from the same Picual variety in soil without solarization.

Comparison of the two groves confirmed far greater intensity and severity of the Verticillium wilt epidemic at the Ancla olive grove.

Varietal impact

Of particular note, the researchers observed, was that "the impact of the variety in the decrease in Verticillium wilt is even greater than the rest of the control practices that were used", with the Frantoio trees suffering at a dramatically lower rate from the disease.

While the yearly mortality rate of the trees was 5.6% for Picual trees on the Ancla grove using traditional techniques, at the Grañón olive farm (IDM management) Picual trees suffered a mortality rate of 3.1% and Frantoio trees only 0.6%.

Conclusion

The researchers concluded that the study validates the adoption of an integrated disease management approach at an olive farm in field conditions, and is the first to do so, providing olive growers with “an efficient new tool” against one of the industry’s greatest threats.

Ref: Ostos E, Garcia-Lopez MT, Porras R, Lopez-Escudero FJ, Trapero-Casas A, Michailides TJ and Moral (2020): Effect of Cultivar Resistance and Soil Management on Spatial-Temporal Development of Verticillium Wilt of Olive: A Long-Term Study. Front. Plant Sci. 11:584496. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.584496www.frontiersin.org.

• Global EVOO appraisal by expert judges:

» International judging panels in 5 countries

» Australian judging collaboratively in Adelaide

• All EVOO, Flavoured Oils and Table Olive entries compete for Best of Show Awards

• Every entry assessed and awarded on merit

• Comprehensive judging feedback for all entries

• Successful judging provides eligibility for OliveCare® certification

Unprecedented opportunity for international recognition of winning products and producers

2022 Australian International Olive Awards Schedule

Entries open: 1 June

Entries close: 1 September at 5pm CST

Post deadline (Australian entries): 11 August

Medals announced (by email): 2 October

Awards Dinner/Trophy presentation: 27 October

Full details & entry forms:

www.internationaloliveawards.com.au

State of the Climate 2022: faster changes and record-breaking extremes

Knowledge of current trends and forecasts in weather patterns is a crucial element in grove management, enabling growers to review and plan around practices and infrastructure needs. Here’s an overview of the latest statistics and predictions from the State of the Climate 2022 report.

The State of the Climate 2022 report, published by the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology, has confirmed that changes to weather and climate extremes are happening at an increased pace across Australia.

The biennial report draws on the latest climate monitoring, science and projection information to detail Australia’s changing climate now and into the future. The latest edition highlights an increase in extreme heat events, intense heavy rainfall and sea level rise, along with longer fire seasons.

Greenhouse gases continue to rise

CSIRO Climate Science Centre Director Dr Jaci Brown said concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are at the highest levels seen on Earth in at least two million years.

“The concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are continuing to rise, and this is causing Australia’s climate to warm,” Dr Brown said.

“The oceans around Australia have also warmed by more than one degree since 1900, contributing to longer and more frequent marine heatwaves. We’re seeing mass coral bleaching events more often - and for the first time during a La Niña year - and this trend is expected to continue into the future.

“The rate of sea level rise varies around Australia’s coastlines, but the north and southeast have experienced the most significant increases.”

Higher temperatures - and fire risk

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Manager of Climate Environmental Prediction Services, Dr Karl Braganza, said the report projects increases in air temperatures, more heat extremes and fewer cold extremes in coming decades.

“Australia's climate has warmed on average by 1.47 degrees since 1910, and sea surface temperatures have increased by an average of 1.05 °C since 1900,” Dr Braganza said.

“This has led to an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events over land and sea.

“The length of fire seasons has also increased across the country in recent decades. We’re expecting to see longer fire seasons in the future for the south and east, and an increase in the number of dangerous fire weather days,” he said.

Rainfall contrasts

While the warming pattern has been seen Australia-wide, the 2022 report shows contrasting rainfall trends across the north and the south of the country.

“There’s been an overall decline in rainfall between April and October across southern Australia in recent decades, but in northern Australia, rainfall has increased across the region since the 1970s,” Dr Bragenza said.

The report shows that heavy rainfall events are becoming more intense and during La Niña events in 2021-22, eastern Australia experienced one of the most significant flood periods ever observed.

an important role to play to help our farmers to build on that, navigating the growing climate risks to ensure long-term viability of rural enterprises and communities.

“We’re doing that through initiatives such as our Drought Resilience Mission, and looking at sustainable integrated solutions for agriculture and land use. A great example of that is the Climate Services for Agriculture project, providing historical weather and climate projections on a 5km grid, to allow farmers to see how climate is changing in ways relevant to what they produce.”

“Another collaboration between CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology, funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the project aims to help inform farmers where adaptations will be needed.”

Emissions emergency

Dr Michael Battaglia leads the CSIRO Towards Net Zero Mission and said the clear signal of climate change in the State of the Climate Report shows the urgency of lowering emissions.

“To do this, we need a combination of existing and new technologies, as well as the means to rapidly embed them into practice,” he said.

“We’re facing significant challenges to support and co-ordinate the shifts across infrastructure, regulation, skills, technology,

finance and investment that is needed for the transition to a low emission economy.

“Our role at the CSIRO Towards Net Zero Mission is to bring together research, industry, government and the community to build feasible pathways to address these challenge that address this pressing challenge while at the same time help address other important challenges across regional economies and the environment.”

More information

The full State of the Climate 2022 report can be found on both the CSIRO and Bureau

of Meteorology websites: www.csiro.au (via a link from the home page); and www.bom.gov. au/state-of-the-climate

The (prototype) Climate Services for Agriculture platform can be accessed at www.climateservicesforag.indraweb.io.

And you can find out more about the Towards Net Zero Mission on the CSIRO website. Go to www.csiro.au - About - Missions - Towards Net Zero

The number of short-duration heavy rainfall events is expected to increase in the future.

Threats to agriculture

CSIRO Director of Agriculture and Food Dr Michael Robertson said our sector is particularly vulnerable.

“The threats caused by climate change, including extreme rainfall, droughts, heatwaves and bushfires, are already having widespread impacts on Australia’s agricultural industry, affecting food production and supply chains,” he said.

“Historically the sector has shown its ability to adapt to changes in climate but CSIRO has

How to achieve a viable, award-winning table olive business from 76 trees - Part 2

Support and surprises for new Olives NZ EO

In September last year we briefly introduced new Olives New Zealand Executive Officer Emma Glover as she took over the role from Gayle Sheridan.

Emma has hit the ground running since she commenced in August, working with Gayle on ONZ’s major annual events - Certification, the NZ EVOO Awards and the Olives NZ Conference - and learning about both the organisation and the industry. We caught up with her recently to find out about her introduction to the world of olives.

OG&P: Have you settled in yet?

EG: Yes, I feel like I have settled in. Every week I’m still learning loads, but I no longer feel like a possum in headlights.

OG&P: What has the first seven months as ONZ EO been like?

EG: Wow, time has flown by … Living three hours away from Gayle made handover a little tricky. It was at the peak of a very busy time for ONZ and for Gayle, so I was limited to what I could do to help without being a hindrance, and it felt like a slow ease into the world of Olives NZ and familiarising myself.

As many of our activities are in a yearly cycle, the test of how much I’ve learned is about to come with the new harvest season. But with the support I have around me, I’m ready for the challenge.

OG&P: Did you know much about growing olives and producing olive oil before you joined ONZ, and how much have you learned in this time?

EG: The quick answer is no, knew nothing. When returned from London 15 years ago, I worked for Telegraph Hill on their stall at the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market for about a year, so thought I knew a little bit. What I’ve discovered is that I knew people in the industry, but nothing about the industry.

When I’m talking to friends and family they are surprised how much I now know, but it’s a double-edged sword: the more you know, the more you realise you don’t know. I don’t think I’ve even touched the icing on the top of the cake.

There is great support from the ONZ membership, though, and people are very willing to assist and share their knowledge with me.

OG&P: What’s the fact you’ve learned that’s been most surprising?

EG: How few large olive groves there actually are in New Zealand compared to other horticulture industries.

OG&P: And the most interesting?

Prior to this role, I considered myself a foodie and a good consumer of New Zealand olive oil. However, I was a uneducated consumer. My lack of knowledge around using, cooking and storing NZ EVOO has shown me there is a lot of work needed to fill the knowledge gap between producers and consumers in NZ.

OG&P: Have you caught up with many members yet?

EG: In general the members are awesome; they have been there to support, impart their knowledge and encourage me while get up to speed. I met many at the 2022 NZ EVOO Awards but being so new into the role, I didn’t necessary make the connections.

This year I am looking forward to hopefully meeting with many again and building relationships with them, so I can understand their groves and businesses, and where ONZ can help.

OG&P: What’s in the planning cart now?

EG: At the moment we are working on getting our next research project, Productivity and Polyphenols, off the ground. We want to establish a baseline of the polyphenol production levels currently in New Zealand EVOO and the compound composition of them. Then to develop a grove management guideline within the existing Focus Grove program to increase the production of beneficial phenolic compounds while continuing the increase in olive oil productivity in NZ.

Over the next 18 months I would like to tidy up the business plan, with clear objectives not only with the grove management best practices and support but also updating our website and creating an OliveMark marketing tool kit for our members to use.

We wish Emma all the best with that list, and look forward to updating on the various projects as they progress.

Continuing the insightful information provided in the December edition of Olivegrower & Processor, here’s Part 2 of this feature by Dianne and Owen Carington Smith, original owners of multi-award-winning table olive business Bruny Island Olives. Having achieved a viable olive business with just 76 trees, they’re generously sharing how they dealt with the many challenges of achieving profitability as a boutique olive producer.

Maintaining high prices

To maintain high prices, we depended on three approaches:

unique, consistently high-quality olives;

• AIOA medals on our jars;

• limited and targeted distribution. To achieve high prices, we considered farmer’s markets with low set-up costs and/ or cellar door sales, which involves more investment. Both options allow higher margins by cutting out distributors/retailers. However, we did not wish to commit the time to such activities when there was more to be done in the grove - poor harvest = poor sales.

There was also some doubt that a cellar door just for table olives would have wide appeal, even though we were located on a high tourist route.

Our experience has been that local cellar doors and quality restaurants want to promote regional/local gourmet products, and customers seek to experience them.

Tourists in particular are indulging in a locality experience where price is not front-ofmind, a different mindset to price-conscious supermarket shopping.

While selling to a local cellar door/tourist shop means the operator applies a mark-

up of 100%, our prices were still rewarding due to the premium that can be gained in a tourism setting. Also, tourist traffic is higher in an outlet offering a range of regional produce.

Producing quality table olives

As many other grove owners have commented, soil and climate can make an important contribution to olive quality. However, there is more at play: latitude, harvest time, wild yeasts, fermentation techniques and packing strategies all contribute to quality. All these elements have

led to winning six Champion awards and two Reserve Champion awards over the last four years.

Climatic effect

The grove sits close to the D’Entrecasteaux Channel that separates Bruny Island from the Tasmanian mainland. This provides a maritime climate, limiting frosts and therefore providing more flexibility on time of harvest (i.e. the ability to harvest late).

The importance of latitude

Plants are uniquely tuned to the microclimate they live in. Through sophisticated bio-synthetic pathways thousands of healthy organic compounds are produced, including flavonoids, along with flavour compounds. The starting compounds are synthesised into different organic compounds (secondary metabolites) as conditions change with season progression - i.e. changes in day/night temperatures and sunlight hours. Hence time of harvest influences flavour profile.

As an example, leading toothpaste companies use peppermint oil for a, fresh mouth feel. They do not purchase peppermint oil from regions lower than 40 degrees North or South (lower meaning any closer to the equator than 40 degrees). In Australian the 40-degree parallel runs through King Island. Only these latitudes could provide the right combination of menthol and other specified organic flavour compounds.

Hence during long maturation/late harvests olives, like grapes, are likely to develop different compound/component profiles to that of lower latitudes on the mainland. These colder harvest conditions also produce different wild yeasts and other microflora to assist with spontaneous natural barrel fermentation.

This means Tasmanian olives are excellent and different - but of course it does not mean they are better, as witnessed by the success of “mainland” table olives at the AIOA competition.

The Bruny Island Olives grove is just a bit higher than 42 South, not quite half-way to the South Pole. This gives longer, cooler summer and shorter winter days than lower latitudes on the mainland. Thus it is gifted the long maturation periods that are now so sought-after by vignerons.

Harvesting considerations

For us, the second step to a quality table olive is determining the right time of harvest and what wild yeasts/microflora have been kindly provided by nature in the grove. Experience divines the best harvest timing for green and black olives. This is where the old saying rings true that “you cannot make a great wine from a poor grape”. An exclusive focus on table olive production may have some advantage. We are not trying to juggle/compete with olive oil harvest dates. If olive oil had been our main

bacteria and then change the temperature to support lactic acid fermentation.

Packaging

We considered the options for how we would present our product to consumers. Glass or plastic jars, stand up pouches or the cheapest option, vacuum bags. Despite the low cost we quickly eliminated vacuum bags: plastic bags look cheap and squash the olives, thus countering the quality brand image we wished to create. Shelf life was also a concern for pouches and vacuum bags, where the suppliers advised, as a rule of thumb, that this form of packing only doubles the shelf life of fresh product at room temperature. Our aim was to have 12 months shelf life and thus we chose glass jars. This supported the quality brand image we wanted to build and glass jars also merchandise better on the retail shelves. With the exception of our Rose olives (natural taste of Turkish delight with floral overtones) Dianne developed a mix of herbs that provided delicate infused flavours, complimenting the brine/vinegar in the packing solution.

Production costs

Being a small operation limits time-saving machinery options. Costs up to the point of harvest are similar for oil and table olives but

from there roads divide and costs become much higher for table olives.

Irrigation costs

One fairly common cost is irrigation/ fertigation. Luckily, our farm is equally divided between hilly bush and flat cleared

land. The water percolates down the hill and then through the soil, forming an upside-down stream. We dug holes in the ground near the grove and the dams filled up.

Water is always a precious commodity (maybe not quite so much in 2022) and we

activity, then there was a risk of not making optimal harvest and sorting decisions required for table olives. For instance, table olives harvested to avoid oil harvest priorities can yield a bruised, woody texture if harvested too early, or over-ripe/soft olives if harvested too late. As with early and late harvested olive oil, flavour and mouth feel for table olives can change depending on the stage of maturity.

Our grove is two minutes from the processing operations. The main harvest period is July and August, hence daytime temperatures are around 10C and nights approaching zero. These conditions are ideal for keeping the fruit alive and in top condition before it goes into the barrel.

Fermentation

It is a credit to the Australian industry that almost every grove has chosen slow natural fermentation over the quick caustic soda method of processing. This means we keep the probiotic benefits of natural fermentation and the variation in flavours influenced by wild yeasts and bacteria on the olives. We have gone one step further and applied varying temperature controls, to have more influence on which wild micro-organisms (yeast/bacteria) help with the different stages of fermentation and therefore flavour profile.

Our aim is to provide ideal initial fermentation conditions for Leuconostoc spp

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High yield Extraction Enzymes from our Spanish sister company Biocon Español. Specifically formulated for the cold press olive oil process.

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Flowering on 7 December, just before bud burst and well behind mainland groves.

Most of our olives are fermented in 120L barrels, which are ideal for anaerobic fermentation. Note no sign of mould.

Dianne with one of the newly-dug dams.

did not trust our attempts at calculating evaporation/transpiration irrigation requirements. In 2008 we invested in an MEA moisture tension measuring system based on gypsum blocks. This measured how hard the trees had to work to take up water. The blocks were placed at 20, 40, 60 and 90cm depths, and measurements were automatically recorded every 20 minutes.

The MEA system immediately showed how quickly water was being pulled through the sandy soil by gravity. It also showed we were irrigating at double the amount required. This investment saved water, pump maintenance and nutrients being leached out of the soil. We were able to maintain a balance between drying out or exceeding saturation levels in the top 60cm of soil.

Controlling birds

Bush parrots and currawongs enjoy our olives as much as the AIOA Judges. Parrots in particular do considerable damage. They sit on the branches nipping off stalks with the biggest bunches. They generally go for the small olive oil varieties. When these olives have rotted on the ground they come back, crack the nut and eat the kernel. Maybe they know something we don’t (decades ago, there was a theory that apricot kernels had anti-cancer properties).

Currawongs hop along the ground looking for the best low-hanging large black olives. They take just one, fly to the nearest gum tree and swallow whole. Then they fly back to the grove. If there are numerous, they also can cause a noticeable loss.

We tried all the usual tactics: noise generators (just dinner gongs), flashing tape, blow-up scary big bird balloons, etc. As a last resort we strung imitation hawks above the grove so that they soared in the wind. It dawned on us that this was not working when the currawongs clung to the underneath harness so they could look up at the “hawks”, trying to work out what they were, and whether they were worth eating!

We then improvised a fast-netting system: after pruning trees to 3M high x 3M wide, we lifted a 10M wide net through our children’s basketball hoop, welded to a long steel pole attached to a tractor “carry-all”, all to good effect.

Nets with a small weave proved better for sliding over the olives and restricting birds trying to get fruit through the nets. The 3-3.3M height also made harvesting easier.

Harvesting and sorting

Unlike oil olives, table olives need to have high visual appeal, with no stalks or blemishes. Traditionally these specs could only be achieved with hand picking and sorting. Fortunately, we had lots of friends and family looking for a few days in the country and socialising over a BBQ and local wine.

When the trees were small - say two meters high - we found that several women around a tree were more productive than just one per tree. The more they chatted, the faster the pick. Four around a tree was even better. However, the trees got bigger, and this is where the economics of table and oil olives begin to diverge.

The trees with small olives could yield up to 40,000-45,000 olives per tree. Each olive had to be picked, sorted and destalked (in Tasmania olives hang on like super glue, even in October, so destalking requires lots of labour. Delaying harvest until the afternoon helps a bit). Every olive has to be checked so that no bad ones enter the fermentation barrel. There is much tedious checking.

As our crop went over a tonne we needed a new approach. Branch vibrating harvesters would limit damage/bruising, however when asking around these were not popular in Tasmania due to the superglue problem.

So we turned to a Campagnola Alice, a hand held electro-mechanical harvester with twin speeds. It has an interesting harvesting mechanism which vibrates and beats at the same time. Early trials tended to badly bruise fruit, especially when green or turning yellow, however by adjusting speed, technique and tweaking time of harvest, bruising was largely eliminated.

However, life is not simple, and the harvester also knocks a lot of leaves off, which have to be separated before sorting for blemishes and destalking. Our small operation could not justify the relatively high capital cost of the combined deleafing, washing and grading machines (indeed, we never found any demand for, or interest in,

graded olives), so we undertook a world search for solutions and came across deleafing machines developed by Italian, Spanish and Greek families for their groves. The designs had been refined over the years and this was something we could afford.

We purchased one and it worked well. Nevertheless, a lot of good friends are still required for the long and tedious tasks of destalking and removing any damaged olives, something not required for olive oil.

The bottom line

Can a boutique table olive operation return a profit?

We track all sales and costs through QuickBooks Online. This reveals good returns - refer figure 1. Some explanatory notes to clarify these figures:

We handed over the business during 2022, hence for this exercise we used the full fiscal year of 2020/21.

EBITDOL = earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and own labour. 2020/21 was a lockdown year. Current sales are much higher, and demand will not be met.

We had lots of friends help with the netting, harvest and sorting. Contracting these services would have consumed all the earnings and more.

We paid a family member to help with bottling, which comes under variable costs. Small production carries a lot of unavoidable overheads such as product liability insurance, rates and taxes, etc. hence overheads were nearly 50% of sales. Thus, any increase in price or production had a significant impact on the bottom line.

Because we were just weekend farmers, with no residence on the property, we did not expand the grove as yields, while modest, were achieving an EBITDOL of 25% due to high pricing. From one-third of a hectare, crops were averaging approximately one tonne but we only had resources to harvest and sort about 800-900 Kgs. The sorting and destalking is time-consuming and tedious; this is the main constraint. If we lived on the farm and worked 5-6 days/week we could have managed a hectare or a bit more - say >300 trees. Other couples featured in Olivegrower suggest that 300-400 trees can be managed without outside labour.

• Complete packaging service - just send your oil to us and we will do everything

• Self fill packaging - ‘self fill’ supplies so that you can pack your own olive oil

• ‘Bag-in-drum’ IBCs, drums and replacement liner bags

• All your packaging needs - from 1 litre casks up to 1000 litre bulk ‘bag-in-drum’

Long-time friends Jan and Paul Salmon helping Dianne and Owen roll-out their simple and ingenious fast-netting system.

Parrots do considerable damage in the Bruny Island grove.

Hence, we have extrapolated our results to one hectare (300 trees) and estimate that the EBITDOL is $89,000 or a 62.6% return on sales.

That’s the theory, however in reality, as production grows some fixed costs begin to also increase, thus termed semi-fixed. Nevertheless, as volume grows more productive equipment can be justified (which increases depreciation). More efficient sorting of the olives would be the top priority. An average yield of 13.2Kg/tree (including one off year) is below what we should have achieved. Following the AOA’s advice via Andrew Taylor should improve this in the years ahead.

Australian Olive Association (AOA)

For a small, widely-dispersed industry our Australian Olive Association does an incredible job across all aspects of olive growing, production and marketing.

We have attended numerous AOA seminars, field days and conferences. The presenters are leaders in their fields and provide highly pertinent easy to understand guidance.

As we stepped up from a small kitchen operation to processing on the farm, the AOA assistance was invaluable in working through all the Federal and State regulations with regard to meeting health requirements, good processing practice, HACCP documentation, labelling regulations etc.

Digital marketing: big opportunities for small business

Lauren Hamilton, Digital Narrative

Email marketing made easy

Email marketing has been described as the granddaddy of digital marketing. Before we had social media, Google Ads and webinars, we all had email, and brands began to take advantage of that fact decades ago. The fact that email marketing is not just hanging in there but is growing in efficacy in 2023 speaks volumes. Email marketing is personal, free, simple and not subject to the barriers which block social media users from seeing your posts. It has an average ROI (return on investment) of $36 for every $1 spent and 77% of marketers are reporting an increase in engagement of their emails over the last 12 months.

Five steps to success

your group include by spend, location or how recently they bought from you.

Segmenting your audience in this way increases your strike rate noticeably, because your subscribers receive messages which make sense to them, and pay attention to their preferences.

All mailing tools including those listed above have the ability to easily segment your database, and most can be set up to do so automatically when new emails are added to the list.

3. Clever subject and preview lines

OliveCare® Code of Best Practice program

Peter MacFarlane, now retired, ran the AOA’s OliveCare® program. He led the development of generic HAACP plans which could be adapted to each producer’s processes. He was tireless in providing expert advice to us, and keeping a watchful eye over his flock to make sure every OliveCare® member was complying in all matters. He was a fountain of information on wideranging issues. We had many interesting and enjoyable discussions. Our HACCP plan would have been much more onerous without Peter’s extensive help and input.

Australian International Olive Awards

The Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) program each year is the cream on the AOA cake. It has provided excellent benchmarking and guidance for our products, that they are up there with the best.

The medals and awards earned also deliver a prestige image, and have created demand from top retail and catering outlets. Medals and awards make it easier to take the difficult but crucial decision to raise prices to keep the business viable.

The judging and organisation of the Awards each year is just phenomenal, and did not skip a beat during the several years of COVID lockdown.

So much is achieved from a dedicated and resolute few at the AOA.

A little help from our friends

Farmers in horticulture face a daunting task in getting the crop off the tree, along with other field activities including pruning, netting, etc. Over the years we have had great friends and family help us with these activities.

Like many small producers, I am not sure how we would have coped without this generous support. They are the unsung heroes behind so many gourmet products sold at farmers markets, delicatessens and local restaurants. In return we hope that they have enjoyed the experience of working in the country and the socialising around a BBQ or platters of local gourmet produce.

Also, a special thank you to Nick Haddow from Bruny Island Cheese Co., who has provided enormous support and advice in promoting our products.

To Abbie, Jeremy and Andy Muir, the new owners of Bruny Island Olives, it’s been a pleasure to work with you over the last year or so with the handover of the operations. We wish you all success for the future.

Best of all, it’s not hard to set up or use. Email marketing is here to stay so if you’re not using it yet, here are five steps to email marketing success to help you begin.

1. Choose the right mailing tool for you There are over 20 options available on the market today to manage your emails, which makes choosing the right one quite a challenge.

I’ve found over time that Mailchimp (which has free and paid versions) is one of the best for smaller businesses, and it’s the one we use for 9/10 clients. It’s simple and straightforward to use, and costs nothing while you’re still growing your database.

Klaviyo is a newer, slightly more expensive solution which integrates well with websites (especially Shopify sites) to make it easier to create automated sequences of emails.

Constant Contact and Active Contact are similar, more robust tools for managing larger and more complex mailing needs.

2. Segmentation

Subscriber segmentation is the most effective email marketing campaign strategy. It sounds complicated, but it just means splitting up your email list into groups to enable you to personalise the emails you send them.

You may, for example, break your database of subscribers into those who purchase olives, and those who purchase oil, and send appropriate information, recipes or discount codes to each group. Other ways to break up

Which emails get opened the most and which end up in the ‘recycling’ bin often depends on how strong your subject line and preview text is. In a survey, marketers reported that emails with new product and feature announcements have the highest clickthrough rate, when this is reflected in the subject line.

In my experience, the best subject lines start with a ‘tease’ - something tantalising that compels recipients to open the email. A great example concerns a recent email created promoting a January blog on sales tips for solar installers. This email began life with the draft subject line ‘Save time with our sales hacks’, and the preview line (the sub-title of the email) read ‘Learn how to close more sales in 2023.’

Punchy, interesting, but not compelling. We edited the subtitle to read ‘If you only change ONE thing this year’ and the preview text to read ‘Smash your sales targets with this killer hack’ and hit send. The open rate of this email is the strongest we’ve seen for six months, and I believe that’s largely down to the compelling title.

4. Keep it simple and get the tone right

You don’t have to write a ‘War and Peace’ style epic every time you email your database. A simple ‘Flash Sale’ offering 20% off all weekend, one fabulous recipe or serving suggestion, or a well-written, short announcement of company news can form the basis of a great email.

Always bear in mind your goal, whether that’s selling products, staying top-of-mind, getting people along to an event or letting them know about a new product launch. Be

single-minded and your rate of engagement will improve.

It’s also important to strike the right tone of voice with your writing. Use a conversational, chatty tone to keep things informal and fun - this is not the time for professional, chilly language! Be yourself, just a slightly polished version of yourself, and people will warm to your emails because they can tell they come from the heart.

5. Keep growing your database

This one is crucial. You’ll spend the same amount of time preparing and sending an email to 20,000 people as you will to 200, so put time and care into growing your database. The best way to do this is to ensure you have forms in all the logical places on your website. You may like to consider a pop-up with a ‘subscribe now’ form which appears a few seconds after a visitor lands on your site. Also consider teaming up with another business you know (who is not a competitor) to do an email cross-promotion. It may take the form of a competition in which the winner gets a combined prize from both businesses, or an ‘exclusive offer’ sent to each other’s databases. Whatever you choose, sharing lists like this can be a powerful way of growing yours.

If you’re not doing it, do it now

Email marketing is not going anywhere. More than 360 billion emails are sent every day worldwide, and one in two marketers list it as a key ingredient in their marketing strategy. If you’re not already using this effective form of communication - or you could be using it more strategically - make 2023 the year you begin.

Friend Paul Chapman working on the time-and-labour-saving leaf blower.

“As volume grows more productive equipment can be justified. More efficient sorting of the olives would be the top priority.”

Email marketing has an average ROI (return on investment) of $36 for every $1 spent, and it’s not hard to set up or use. Image: Brett Jordan on Unsplash.

“I’m not sure how we would have coped without the generous support of great friends and family.”

Olives, the source of “liquid gold,” offer more riches to unlock

By Alex Whiting

European companies are finding promising ways to use the nutrient-filled residue from olive-oil production.

Olive oil is a multibillion-euro global business and Manuel Román is determined to create an even bigger market from the sacred ancient fruit.

Román is co-founder of ISANATUR, a Spanish company that has built a refinery able to turn every part of an olive into a commercial product of some kind.

Pulp and pits

Only about 25% of an olive is used for the prized oil, with the remaining pulp, pits and water ending up in landfills or being turned into fertiliser. The pits can also be used for fuel.

“What is needed is a market willing to use the products - the olive powder, olive water, olive seed,” said Román, former co-ordinator of an EU-funded project developing ways to transform the entire residue into commercial goods.

Global annual production of olive oil totals about 3 million tonnes, of which 2 million tonnes are in Europe. The worldwide olive oil market is worth nearly €13 billion, according to Fortune Business Insights.

While olive oil has been called ‘liquid gold’ for millennia because of its many

health benefits, the residue is also packed full of goodness.

Companies in Europe are developing ways to tap into this rich source of ingredients so they can be used in health and beauty products, food supplements and animal feed.

proteins and antioxidants - for use in snack bars and food supplements.

The overall potential is enormous. Other products include soluble fibre to boost digestive health, drinks made from olive water and fats that can be used as skin moisturisers.

Although UP4HEALTH includes several small and medium-sized food and nutraceutical businesses testing the products, it wants to attract large multinational companies that could create enough demand to scale.

inflammatories and antimicrobials, which - like olive-oil residue - could be used in food supplements, pharmaceuticals, beauty products and animal feed. Currently, only about 0.2% of the world’s residual olive leaves find commercial uses, according to OLEAF4VALUE.

The project wants to increase the level to 15% with the help of Oleícola El Tejar, a Spanish farm co-operative that already handles an equivalent percentage of the world’s supply of olive pulp, pits and leaves.

The project is working with Mibelle Biochemistry Switzerland, a multinational that designs ingredients for the beauty industry. But inroads are also being made into other markets including feed, said José Maria Pinilla, co-ordinator of OLEAF4VALUE.

Healthier fish

Pinilla is project manager at Natac Group, which makes natural ingredients for food supplements, feed and pharmaceuticals. Natac works with Norway-based Mowi, the world’s largest producer of farmed salmon. The two companies have already successfully tested olive pulp ingredients in feed for fish to determine whether they protect salmon from bacterial infections. Trials so far - conducted at the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology in Spain - have found they make salmon more resilient to such contagion.

Now, as part of OLEAF4VALUE, Natac

OLEAF4VALUE: Innovative system for olive leaf upcycling

UP4HEALTH: A second life for olive and grape by-products

Olive and grape processing produces a residual biomass which most of time remains underexploited.

To tap the potential of this residual biomass, the EU-funded UP4HEALTH project aims to work on a zero-waste sustainable process for olive and grape pomace, nut by-products and olive pits.

Their residue will be transformed into a natural fruit water rich in polyphenols, polyphenol-rich dietary fibres, natural oily fruit extracts and prebiotic xylooligosaccharides that will be used in functional food, nutraceutical supplements and cosmetics.

The remaining solid fraction from the hydrolysis of the olive pits will be used to produce energy.

More information: www.cordis.europa.eu - project ID 888003.

and Mowi are testing ingredients from the leaves to gauge whether they can protect fish from viral infections. Trials are under way at the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Norway and should be completed by the end of 2023, according to Pinilla.

To break into the market for animal-feed additives, economic efficiency is key.

“If you want to enter that market, you need to be very, very cost competitive,” said Pinilla.

Smarter sorting

To cut production costs in general, the project is developing a new way to extract the most value from the leaves.

With this technique, known as ‘dynamic processing’, each batch of leaves is processed differently according to its chemical content. OLEAF4VALUE researchers are creating a sensor that analyses the chemical composition of each batch.

“Thousands of tonnes of natural products are not being used and we are missing out on the opportunity to eat these healthy compounds,” said Román. He was interim co-ordinator of UP4HEALTH, which began in mid-2020 and is due to continue until end-May 2024.

Run from Spain, Europe’s top producer of olive oil, the project brings together participants determined to end olive waste.

ISANATUR is already selling powder made from olive pulp - which is rich in iron,

One of the main obstacles to turning biowaste into new products is creating the demand and building the supply chains to meet it.

Leafy promises

Olive-tree leaves, which are normally left to rot in groves or burned for energy, also have significant commercial potential.

A second EU-funded project co-ordinated from Spain, OLEAF4VALUE, has brought together scientists, multinational companies and olive farmers to develop uses for leaves in a range of products.

Olive leaves contain antioxidants, anti-

The olive oil producing countries in the Mediterranean basin also produce 4.5 million tonnes of olive leaves each year. These leaves – a source of bioactive compounds – need to be removed from fields and the olive mills. The EU-funded OLEAF4VALUE project has set up a consortium of highly experienced partners to develop a valorisation system for this biomass. The consortium will address all levels of the value chain: raw material, biorefining, post-extraction technologies, market validation and sustainability assessment.

OLEAF4VALUE will install the foundations of a smart value chain based on the recently developed 4.0 concept Smart Dynamic MultiValorisation-Route Biorefinery, or SAMBIO, for the cascade valorisation of olive biomass.

More information: www.cordis.europa.eu - project ID: 101023256.

The chemical content of leaves depends on where they grew and how they were handled before processing. The content determines the most suitable products for leaves.

For example, olive leaves contain oleuropein, which is used as a food supplement. Its content in leaves varies from 0.2% to 10%. Currently, leaves are all processed in the same way and for the same purposes.

“But if want to produce a very highpurity oleuropein, it’s obviously much easier to do it with a high-content leaf at the beginning,” said Pinilla.

With dynamic processing, only olive leaves with high oleuropein content are used to extract this compound. The rest are processed for different chemicals.

The project is also developing treatments to modify the chemical content of leaves so they contain higher concentrations of certain chemicals before processing begins. Plenty of research is still needed for both the processes and the products. Then the challenge will be to find major buyers.

Israeli company Olivebar Ltd has been on an alternative zero waste path for years, drying olive waste and compressing into fuel rolls containing 1.5 times the energy value of wood

But Pinilla is certain about the merits of the whole initiative.

“In theory we could have nothing to throw away,” he said.

“We are trying for a zero-waste approach.”

Research in this article was funded by the EU. This article was originally published in Horizon, the EU Research & Innovation magazinehttps://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/ en/horizon-magazine/olives-source-liquidgold-offer-more-riches-unlock

Only about 25% of an olive is used for the prized oil. Image: Lucio Patone on Unsplash.

“We are trying for a zerowaste approach.”

- José Maria Pinilla, OLEAF4VALUE

Is my olive oil EVOO?

And if not, why not?

Intro para: Accurate classification of olive oils is imperative for brand integrity, and plays a vital part in maintaining the Australian industry’s hard-earned reputation for truth -labelling and exceptional product quality. It’s important that all producers ensure their products are what they say they are particularly in the case of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) -down of the chemical parameters involved in EVOO classification, and the factors which affect them, to help get your

The Australian Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils (AS5264 ) is a consumer standard that incorporates chemical and sensory parameters for oil quality, authenticity and freshness for classification of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).

Accurate classification of olive oils is imperative for brand integrity, and plays a vital part in maintaining the Australian industry’s hard-earned reputation for truth-in-labelling and exceptional product quality. It’s important that all producers ensure their products are what they say they are - particularly in the case of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) - so here’s a quick run-down of the chemical parameters involved in EVOO classification, and the factors which affect them.

The Australian Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils (AS5264-2011®)

is a consumer-focussed standard that incorporates chemical and sensory parameters for oil quality, authenticity and freshness for classification of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).

AS5264-2011 is of a higher standard than the IOC Standard, which doesn’t recognise freshness testing and allows lower quality oils with a reduced shelf life and organoleptic defects to be marketed as virgin olive oil (VOO).

For example, a NSW olive oil importer forwarded a laboratory test report with the following test results for olive oil sourced from their family grove in Lebanon:

CAMPAGNOLA harvesters: efficiency through innovation

• Free Fatty

%m/m: ≤0.4%

• Peroxide Value (PV) meqO2/kg oil: ≤12.0

and processing – e.g. too long in the bins, left in the hot sun, or piled too deep in the bins, which causes overheating and fermentation;

AS5264-2011 is of a higher standard than the IOC Standard, which doesn’t recognise freshness testing and allows lower quality oils with a reduced shelf life and organoleptic defects to be marketed as virgin olive oil (VOO).

Eclipse Enterprises has been the proud distributors of the CAMPAGNOLA products into Australia and New Zealand since the early 1970’s. For 60+ years CAMPAGNOLA has been synonymous with innovative products and ideas that have transformed the horticultural industry.

is a completely different beast. The components are made from stronger and lighter materials, translating to longevity of parts, less weight and less vibration for the operator.

• Absorbency in UV K232: ≤2.00

For example, a NSW olive oil importer forwarded a laboratory test report with the following test results for olive oil sourced from their family grove in Lebanon:

• Absorbency in UV K270: ≤0.18

• Absorbency in UV delta K: ≤0.01

• Pyropheophytins a (PPP): 1% increasing by 6%-8% pa

• 1,2 Diacylglycerides (DAGs): 90% decreasing by 20%-25% pa

• Median of Defects (MeD): =0.0

• Median of Fruitiness Attribute (MeF): >0.0

• harvesting damaged or diseased fruit –e.g. crushed or anthracnose-affected; poor oil storage after processing – e.g. failure to rack-off and purge oil, which allows oil to be in contact with water and sediment in the bottom of the storage tank.

Based on the laboratory sensory feedback that the defect is ‘musty’, it would appear that the fruit was not correctly stored after harvest before processing (ref above).

OLISTAR pneumatic harvester

In the 1970’s CAMPAGNOLA introduced the first pneumatic olive harvester, the OLISTAR. Initially this was one single comb with solid fingers, powered by a largish piston on a fixed-length extension pole. It had approximately 900 beats per minute and was proclaimed as the game changer to harvesting those little fruits we all cherish.

Since those humble times CAMPAGNOLA has set the pace with new designs and today we have several pneumatic olive harvesters in the range which are lighter, faster at 1800 beats per minute, and due to their unique design, will do less harm to the fruit and the tree.

The fingers are removable techno polymer and last much longer than previous models. The head’s body is lighter magnesium, with most of its components now made of techno polymer.

The power unit’s new design and outer body material makes it lighter and stronger. It houses the new “brushless” motor which now draws only 3-4 Amps.

The new motor now has 3 speeds, 1080 - 1150 - 1180 rpm, and through the unique electronic card has a power saving feature. When the tool is put into the canopy of the tree, and it feels the resistance of the foliage and olives, it speeds up to the rpm setting; seconds after it is removed from the tree’s canopy the tool will slow down to idle. This power saving feature also reduces the wear and tear on the unit. The ALICE can also easily be set to run at full rpm.

the storage conditions of the oil (sediments).

As the laboratory report states the Free Fatty Acid (FFA) level is almost out of specification at 0.74% (AS5264-2011 limit 0.8%), plus there is an organoleptic defect detected (Musty - score 2.0), while all the other test parameters are fine this oil is of VOO classification NOT EVOO Sub-header: FFA indications

According to Modern Olives olive oil chemist Claudia Guillaume, the FFA parameter provides a good indication of:

• the fruit condition before crushing,

• the time between harvesting and crushing, and

As the laboratory report states the Free Fatty Acid (FFA) level is almost out of specification at 0.74% (AS5264-2011 limit 0.8%), plus there is an organoleptic defect detected (Musty - score 2.0), while all the other test parameters are fine this oil is of VOO classification, NOT EVOO.

• the storage conditions of the oil (sediments).

FFA indications

According to Modern Olives olive oil chemist Claudia Guillaume, the FFA parameter provides a good indication of:

• the fruit condition before crushing, the time between harvesting and crushing, and

FFA is an important parameter in the trade classification of olive oil – as above, extra virgin olive oils must have a free acidity level under 0.8%. However, it is expected that sound fruit processed immediately should produce oil with less than 0.4g% FFA.

What went wrong?

So what went wrong in the production of this olive oil sourced from Lebanon?

There are three possible reasons for an elevated level of FFAs:

• poor storage of the olives between harvest

Need help?

Clarification around testing results, both chemical and organoleptic (e.g. sensory faults), can be obtained from the laboratory used. Both Australian laboratories, Modern Olives and NSW AgEnviro Labs, are happy to speak with producers so you understand clearly what your results mean. They may also be able to assist you in gaining insight into the causative factors of those results. Further assistance with correctly classifying your oil/s can be obtained by contacting AOA OliveCare® administrator Michael Southan at olivecare@australianolives.com.au

In our and our customers opinion, the OLISTAR TUONO, is at the top of the tree and is the most superior pneumatic olive harvester on the market today.

ALICE electromechanical harvester

Through their industry knowledge, ingenuity, and constant market evaluation, CAMPAGNOLA have produced what we consider the best performing handheld olive harvesting tool in the ALICE.

The ALICE electromechanical olive harvester has a patented unique elliptical action which is very efficient and will dislodge all varieties of olives off the tree with minimal defoliation.

After many years of trials in Europe and here in Australia, the ALICE was first released into our Australian market back in 20056. Since that time, with the introduction of new lighter and stronger materials, and with the evolution of the electronics, today’s ALICE

Accessories

There are a variety of extensions available, in both aluminium and carbon fibre and in various lengths, both fixed or telescopic. We can advise on the correct length pole to harvest your olives with maximum efficiency.

The complete unit is generally used with a 12V battery but can also be run off a 50V Lithium Ion backpack battery. This battery weighs only 3.7kg and can run the Alice for 7-8 hours.

For information on your nearest stockist, please get in touch with Con or Leon at Eclipse Enterprises:

P: 08 8351 8611

E: info@eclipseenterprises.com.au

W: www.eclipseenterprises.com.au

Header: Is my olive oil of EVOO classification? And if not, why not?

26 March

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