91,000 hectares of olive groves, 16,000 of which are organic, over 15 million trees and no less than 80 indigenous olive varieties, the most widespread of which are Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino, Maurino and Pendolino, for a heritage of agricultural biodiversity second to none. There are more than 36 thousand professional and non-professional farms, about 400 active oil mills and numerous olive oil packaging plants. In addition, upstream of the regional olive and oil production chain, there is the development of a real nursery district, specialised in the production of olive seedlings, mainly located in the area of Pescia (in the Province of Potenza), one of the main hubs of olive tree nursery cultivation at the national level. This is the snapshot of the sector drawn at the 2024 Extra Virgin Olive Selection, the “green carpet” for the green gold that rewards the best of the best Tuscan olive oils every year.
The 2024 Extra Virgin Olive Selection, promoted by the Region of Tuscany with the collaboration of the Chamber of Commerce of Florence together with PromoFirenze and Fondazione Sistema Toscana, was an opportunity to talk about the olive oil sector and its prospects, the importance of pressing in order to obtain high quality, an update in the field of research on the origin of oils, but also to discover the activities of the Consortia aimed at protecting and enhancing Tuscan oils.
The event, held at the “La Compagnia” cinema in Florence, was attended by Eugenio Giani, President of the Region of Tuscany, Stefania Saccardi, Vice-President of the Region of Tuscany and Councillor for Agricultural and Food Policy, Massimo Manetti, President of PromoFirenze, Giuseppe Salvini, Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce of Florence, and Francesco Palumbo, Director of the Fondazione Sistema Toscana.
This was followed by a round table with technical speeches by Alessandro Parenti, who is a professor at the University of Florence – D-AGRI, on the future of olive mills, how olive to oil processing systems have evolved over time, and how the technology and innovation of machinery have the potential to significantly impact the quality of the final product, even more than the area of origin; Gaia Meoni, researcher at the University of Florence – CERM, illustrated the technique of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) applied to oil, an important tool to determine its chemical characteristics such as fatty acids, nutritional value or polyphenols, but also the area of origin and therefore the authenticity of a product, isolating a sort of “fingerprint”, all with just one drop of oil, without waste and in just a few minutes; Chiara Cherubini, an analytical technician, emphasised the importance of a professional and competent approach in the production chain. In fact, even in these more complicated years, the experience of professionals in the field has led to excellent oils, because they have been able to choose the right time for harvesting, for example, or to set up the machinery in the most efficient way. The event was moderated by Simona Bellocci, a journalist for Intoscana.it.
THE INITIATIVES OF THE REGION. The Region of Tuscany, which has always been on the side of olive growers and mills, is promoting innovative cultivation and water management methods, experimental plants and precision farming thanks to a PNRR call for over 22 million euros (the deadline has been extended to May 31). Also under the PNRR, one in four of the 400 olive mills in Tuscany responded to the call for proposals to renovate their facilities. Applications for 20 million euros have been received: at the moment Tuscany has 8.3 million euros available, but a reallocation of funds is not ruled out in the event of a change in the ranking. The measures envisaged by the funding concern the modernisation of facilities with more sustainable technologies in the name of a circular economy with low environmental impact and the reuse of by-products. There will also be support for olive tree nurseries and research into more suitable genetic material.
THE WINNERS. Forty-five oils representing the excellence of Tuscan olive oil production were selected for the 2024 edition, including one from the province of Pistoia, one from Massa, two from Arezzo, two from Livorno and Lucca, nine from Grosseto, twelve from Siena and sixteen from Florence. There were also some special mentions for the best “Mono-cultivar Oil Selection”, “Organic Oil Selection”, “Biophenol Selection” and “Packaging Selection”, as well as the coveted title of “Best Oil” for each PDO and PGI (please see the information sheet). The awards were presented by Stefania Saccardi and the Presidents of the Consortiums. The initiative aims to highlight the best PDO and PGI oils in Tuscany, to spread the culture of certified quality extra virgin olive oil and to encourage olive growers to continually improve the quality of their products.
STRENGTHS. The main strength of regional olive oil and its sector is the high quality of production, for which Tuscany is widely known and appreciated throughout the world. In fact, in the national panorama of PDOs and PGIs of extra virgin olive oils, Tuscany stands out for the number of certified oils, which represent a significant share of the national total. There are five PDOs and PGIs for extra virgin olive oils registered by the European Union that refer to production areas within the Region: Toscano PGI, Chianti Classico PDO, Terre di Siena PDO, Lucca PDO, Seggiano PDO. The regional production of olive oil averages about 150,000 quintals per year (about 5% of the national production), with a value of almost 130 million euros, which represents approximately 5% of the total value of the agricultural production of the Region. It is worth remembering that in Tuscany, since 2000, there have been more than 90 professional tasting courses authorised by the Region, more than 860 tasters registered on the regional list of technicians and experts in virgin and extra virgin olive oil, and 20 professional tasting panels recognised by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.
THE 2024 CATALOGUE. The event was also the occasion for the presentation of the 2024 edition of the Selection Catalogue, published in both Italian and English and available online on the Regione Toscana website. It contains the descriptive files of all the selected oils and is an important tool for enhancing and promoting the oil-producing companies. This is the catalogue of the 2024 edition:
The organisers would like to thank the Consorzio del Pane Toscano DOP and the Vivaisti Olivicoli Pistoiesi for their active contribution to the success of the event.
The leftover oil from the selection trials will be donated, as in previous years, to Villa Lorenzi, a facility that provides educational services for the prevention and rehabilitation of juvenile distress and addiction.
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