The Hindu Business Line : Olives from Ferrari-land

It is with a lot of passion and zeal that most Italians speak about their cuisine and even wine. This borders on veneration when it comes to major producers of olive oil in Italy, as a group of 12 international journalists discovered during a recent olive oil trip to the Puglia and Umbria belt of the country organised by the International Olive Council (IOC).

The world’s second-largest producer of olive oil after Spain, Italy’s annual production is around 600,000 tonnes. In any olive oil industry, the pride of place of course goes to extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and Italian producers will proudly tell you that Italy contributes about 20 per cent of the world’s EVOO. It cultivates olives on nearly 1.3 million hectares, including the small farms where olive oil is produced only for personal consumption.

In a country which has 230 million olive trees — of which 60 million are in the Puglia region — you can expect to hear many a passionate tale about the importance of the olive tree, its history, and how it is “like some of our ancient sculptures”.

After Greece and Spain, it is Italy’s turn to showcase its olive industry to international journalists and we are taken to Bari in Puglia to attend the first ever three-day international event labelled ‘Extraa’, where the agriculture ministry, olive oil producers and trade bodies have come together to make a pitch for Brand Italy to international buyers. The Unapro, a giant consortium that represents 650,000 olive farms, is a principal organiser of the event where all stops have been pulled out to narrate Italy’s olive story.

At the elegantly and tastefully done up exhibition venue — but then taste and elegance are something that can be seen in the Italian way of life… their attire, body language, fashion statement and their food and wine — Michele Bungaro, Unapro’s Head of the Office of Media and External Relations, is in charge of the international journalists and their visits to olive groves, olive presses and bottling facilities, and fancy dining places, including an ancient castle, where our two-hour long meals are planned.

Olive oil and Ferrari!

“Buying the best quality Italian extra virgin olive oil is like buying a Ferrari,” he waxes eloquent and is quick to attribute the secret behind the good-looking Italian men, with flat tummies and glowing skin, to “our EVOO”! Well, at least he doesn’t claim that EVOO also acts as an aphrodisiac, as one had frequently heard in Greece! Reeling off figures and articulating the veneration the Italian olive industry has for its produce, he claims that over 70 per cent of Italian olive oil is of the extra virgin variety (which means it is the topmost quality olive juice produced exclusively by mechanical or other physical procedures under controlled temperature and with zero chemical process).

He adds that about 12 per cent of the Italian economy is dependent on olive cultivation and production, and two per cent of the population is engaged in this activity. “In fact, we give such high importance to olive oil that when we taste a delicacy, we tend to say: ‘Ah, the fish did not spoil the olive oil’.”

Dr Diego Morgante, Director of Europe and International Markets, Ministry of Agricultural policy, Food and Forests, says Italy has “many, many olive trees that are hundreds of years old.” He adds that there are thousands of small olive farms in Italy — about one hectare or a little more in size — where olive oil, about 25-30 litres a year, is produced not for commercial but personal consumption.

Interestingly, he points out that the very concept of the “Agriculture Ministry” has undergone a vast change in many European countries in recent years. “The Ministry of Rural Development is one thing, but when it comes to agriculture, governments now want to add value to agricultural produce by devising the right policies of export, use of agricultural products in gourmet cuisine, etc, that is why food and agricultural policy are often combined under one ministry.”

Family legacy

How different this is from the agriculture scene in India was seen during our visit to several olive facilities belonging to families whose vocation is an heirloom, a heritage of 50 or more years to be proud about.

Take, for instance, the Spagnoletti Zeuli family in Puglia, the southern part of Italy; documents conserved in the family archive date back nearly 400 years and establish the family’s ownership of land surrounding the majestic Castel de Monte.

A shrewd combination of family legacy, traditional wisdom, and modern entrepreneurial skills has converted the family-owned 400 hectares of olive groves into a successful business.

As we visited a few olive groves, where harvesting was on in full swing, and at many cooperative-owned ventures where family members were involved in olive picking, it became clear that the quality of the EVOO that Italian producers are so proud about has to do not so much with the oil presses or modern machinery, as the Mediterranean climate and soil conditions ideal for olive trees — good soil, dry, mild climate and warmth of the sun, even during winter months. Add to this the personal care that goes into the planting and pruning of trees by hands, ongoing vigil for parasites and the right kind of irrigation, and the result is top-notch quality of the final product.

Watching the facilities and the affluence, I can’t help recalling the furrowed forehead of the Dharmapuri farmer in Tamil Nadu searching for water at 1,000 ft, and failing, during the drought years. Today, who knows, he might be facing flood threats!

But returning to Italy’s affluent farmers, one was struck by the manner in which they showcase their products. Whether it is family-owned facilities like Monini, a household name in Italy for EVOO, or Farchioni, or castles in Puglia or at restaurants co-opted in Tivoli by olive cooperatives, we were given a taste of freshly made, often organically and unfiltered, olive oil used in traditional Italian cuisine. Even the simplest of bruschetta — toasted home-made bread with a generous sprinkling of olive oil — tastes heavenly when fresh from the oven. Then, of course, there are variations such as those topped with finely cut tomatoes and sprinkled with herbs, mushroom or olive paste.

But most of our meals were much more elaborate, with an array of anti pasti (starters), primi piati (first course) and secondi piati (second course). As in most of Europe, one found such an abundance of pork at each meal; and the vegetables… the tomatoes, the aubergine, the broccoli, the peppers and other vegetables, cooked or dressed in EVOO, and served with generous helpings of mozzarella cheese… were so delicious, that after a while one joined the lone vegetarian, Chitra, in devouring the vegetarian fare. Until a Risotta was served with clams!

During most meals, the different courses were paired with the best of Italian white and red wines, as many olive oil producers also have wineries and market the wine alongside.

Olive cosmetics

A trend that is fast catching on with Italian olive oil producers is to make and market exotic cosmetics made with this product. While olive soaps and some other cosmetics have been traditionally made with olive oil, we visited a couple of factories where tempting and enticingly packed facial and body scrubs, fragrant body lotions and moisturisers and hair-care products were marketed. But, of course, in most of these facilities, the bulk of the olive oil is bottled and marketed for food.

As India gradually becomes an attractive market for olive oil producing nations, as slowly but surely the consumption of olive oil goes up in our market, more and more Italian producers are testing this emerging market.

But later on, as one came across attractive gift packs of olive oil cosmetics in Milan and Florence, as well as Rome, ready for the Christmas season, one realised that it would take a savvy Italian marketer to discover that while Indians might hesitate to pay over Rs 600-700 for a litre of EVOO for cooking, thousands of Indian women would without hesitation dish out a few hundred rupees for olive oil cosmetics. After all, for long years some Indian women have used olive oil for their hair and many more for massaging babies.

IOC’s mandate

But for the moment the IOC is focusing its attention on marketing olive oil in India. IOC Executive Director Mohamed Sbitri points out that the IOC is constantly seeking out new markets and growing old ones. Emerging countries like India, China, Russia and South Korea are obviously on its radar and in 2008 it has earmarked a budget of €5.4 million on promotion of olive oil and table olives, of which €800,000 will be spent on popularising olive products in India. “We are a guarantor of quality and we work through media workshops, health and nutrition conferences, chefs, by organising Mediterranean food festivals, olive oil tasting sessions, and through the ‘Eat well Grow Well’ programmes in schools where the objective is to educate schoolchildren on the nutritional benefits of olive oil.”

He adds that the IOC is an international, intergovernmental, non-profit organisation set up in 1959 under the umbrella of the United Nations. Its mandate is to coordinate with its 15 olive-producing member countries (the EU with all its member States constitutes a single member) on national production and marketing policies for table olives and olive oil, “adopting rules and standards to ensure product authenticity and implementing multidisciplinary activities.

"We represent 98 per cent of olive oil and table olive producers in the world and our aim is to ensure the optimal development of olive cultivation and production.”

Unfiltered oil

Rasheeda Bhagat

When you travel overseas and have access to olive oil producing facilities, get hold of a bottle of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil produced in a traditional olive mill with grinding stones and bags to compress the olive paste and squeeze the olive oil. Many traditional producers sell the freshly squeezed oil and it is possible to pick up a litre as cheap as €5. The oil will be cloudy and might have sediments but don’t worry, and consume it within two months. The dark green, unfiltered, freshly squeezed extra virgin olive oil has a very intense fruity aroma and amazing taste. To really savour its fruity taste, use it to season salads, dals, soups or just sprinkle it on toast or hot chapatties/parathas.

Two grand!

Rasheeda Bhagat

We had the occasion to visit the world’s largest and one of the oldest olive trees — 2,000 years old — at Canneto, near the famous Farfa Abbey in Sabina. Rocco Bertini is the present owner of this tree which his family bought, along with the land, for 1,840 lira in 1870.

With a height of 15 metres, and a trunk with 7 metre diameter, its branches spread out across a whopping 30 metres. Bertini proudly tells us how as the eldest son in the family he inherited this tree, which earlier belonged to the Farfa abbey but was later confiscated!

Since he is a bachelor, after him the owner of the tree will be his brother’s eldest son. Even though this tree produces 1,200 kg of olives every year, "they are not used to produce olive oil because over the year the fruits have become too small and the variety is not very good", he adds. Obviously it has become more of a heritage item and if Bertini charges even €5 for every picture taken with the tree, he’ll make a fortune.

Response may be sent torasheeda@thehindu.co.in

Related Stories:
International olive oil body bullish on India
Italy’s ‘Extra’ push for olive oil
Spanish cos on olive oil promotion drive

More Stories on : Oilseeds & Edible Oil | Events | Rasheeda Bhagat | Cosmetics

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