- Greek olive oil producers face unsold stock piling up fast
- Domestic demand nosedived, with consumption at record lows
- Farmgate prices stuck at 3.80 euros per litre, producers are barely scraping by
- Only 15,800 tons of olive oil hit supermarket shelves as branded products
- 100,000 tons shipped in bulk to Italy and rebranded for higher profits
- SEVITEL calls for strict laws to curb bulk sales and boost national branding
- Proposed tactics include banning bulk tins and slapping single-use packaging onto restaurant tables
The Greek olive oil sector is awash in its supply, thanks to a dramatic drop in local demand. Nearly half of the year’s harvest sits in warehouses, unsold and ageing faster than last year’s Instagram trends. SEVITEL, the pernickety watchdog of the industry, points to a 40-50% surplus weighing down producers’ wallets.
Don’t let the country’s reputation fool you: Greeks are sipping less olive oil than ever. Average consumption sank to just 9.7 litres per person, while supermarket sales have fizzled to a meagre 15,800 tons. The rest of the supposed “domestic” allocation gets shoved into those beloved 16-litre tins—unlabeled, unmanaged and about as traceable as your aunt’s baklava recipe.
- 40% to 50% of the Greek olive oil harvest remains unsold
- Farmgate prices sank to 3.80 euros per litre
- Per capita olive oil consumption fell to 9.7 litres
- Greece produces 250,000 tons of olive oil per year
- 110,000 tons aimed at local buyers, but just 15,800 tons show up as branded options
- Over 100,000 tons shipped in bulk abroad, mainly to Italy
Bulk Blunders, Export Woes and SEVITEL’s Solution
SEVITEL’s stats sheet is uglier than last night’s kalamata cocktail. Of 250,000 tons pressed each year, producers can only count on 110,000 tons going to Greeks themselves. Branded bottles? Only a slice—15,800 tons. The majority is stuck in bulk containers that haven’t seen a label since the ‘90s.
- “Of the 250,000 tons produced annually in Greece, only 110,000 tons are intended for domestic consumption.” — SEVITEL
- “Out of that, a mere 15,800 tons are sold as branded products on store shelves, while the remaining 95,000 tons are distributed in traditional 16-liter tins—often unbranded and lacking quality assurance.” — SEVITEL
- “Enforcing bulk distribution laws is politically costly.” — President, National Interprofessional Olive Oil Organisation
Exporting might sound glamorous, but most of Greece’s prized olive oil skips the branding queue and ships out as anonymous bulk. Italy consumes around 100,000 tons, bottles it, applies a new label, and then charges double. SEVITEL cannot roll its eyes hard enough.
SEVITEL says enough with the tin cans and shadow sales. The Association wants real law enforcement to smother the market for untraceable, mass-market olive oil—and they aren’t whispering about it. Bulk tins need to go, and restaurant tables should replace old-school jugs with nice, sealed, single-use portions. More than 30 million tourists stamp through Greece each year. SEVITEL figures that at least a few of them would like to know where their drizzle came from.
Still, the president of the National Interprofessional Olive Oil Organisation lands the punchline: “Enforcing bulk distribution laws is politically costly.” Greeks know how to argue, and the topic of this could bring down a government. SEVITEL’s tired of years of empty talk. They want a real plan—one that everybody from farmers to retailers can follow.