Description of the Sector

The table olive sector is a key part of the overall Spanish food industry, both because of the number of jobs it creates and its production, processing, marketing and export volume, activities in which Spain is the world leader.

The table olive sector generates a total of 7,500 jobs directly, and more than 6 million days of work by laborers in the harvesting olives and growing of olive trees, in addition to jobs at auxiliary companies and industries involved in glass, tin, cardboard, machinery, logistics, etc.

As the sector comprises companies with a firm business tradition that goes back many years, ASEMESA’s members are industries that are constantly evolving and working to keep up to date.

Spanish table olives are a symbol of maximum quality and industry know-how, and a leader in international markets. They are part of the Mediterranean diet, and more than just an appetizer, being served in as many ways as consumers might demand. Outside Spain, thanks to years of hard work by exporters, a brand name has been created -- Olives from Spain. This puts Spanish table olives in a class of their own, distinguishing them from the products of competing countries.

In order to counter an attempt by third countries to take advantage of the prestige of Spanish table olives, in 2006 ASEMESA promoted the implementation of a promotional plan along with the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) and the Trade Promotion Agency of Andalucia (EXTENDA). It marked the first time such an accord was reached in Spain. In 2007, the plan was taken over by Inter-Professional Table Olive Association, (INTERACEITUNA) and currently the effort is involved in promotional activities in six countries: Australia, Mexico, Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. At the same time, Interaceituna is carrying out promotional activities of its own in Britain and France. The organization spends two million euros a year on overseas promotional activities.