Walk into any U.S. supermarket, and you’ll see shelves stocked with “Italian” olive oil, widely regarded as the gold standard. Consumers picture Italians harvesting olives in sun-drenched groves, bottling a product proudly labeled “Made in Italy.” The truth? Much of it comes from Greece.
For generations, Greek olive oil producers have sold their “green gold” in bulk to Italy instead of branding and exporting it themselves. This has cost Greece global market share, ceding dominance to Spain and Italy, the top two producers by volume. According to Aceite del Campo, only 30 percent of olive oil bottled in Italy is purely Italian. Most Italian exports are blends of Italian, Greek, and even Spanish olive oil, yet they’re marketed as “Made in Italy.”
This practice frustrates Greeks as much as chef Gordon Ramsay’s claim that Greek cuisine outshines Italian cuisine shocked Italian chef Gino D’Acampo. Greek olive oil, particularly Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean Diet, renowned for its health benefits and quality. It’s the lifeblood of longevity, like oil keeping the Tin Man moving in The Wizard of Oz.
Greek olive oils consistently rank among the world’s best. In 2022, Sakellaropoulos Organic Farms took first place globally for gourmet olive oils, with their flavored oils earning high praise. In 2024, they were named Greece’s best and the world’s 12th-best olive oil producer. Meanwhile, The Master Miller, part of the Papadopoulos Olive Oil legacy, ranked second globally in the 2025 Olive Oil Times rankings. Yet, finding these oils in U.S. or even Greek markets is a challenge.
Greece boasts over 123 million olive trees, producing 250,000 tons of olive oil annually, with EVOO comprising 82 percent. However, bulk sales to Italy, which absorbs 75 percent of Greek exports, mean most of it is blended, bottled, and sold as premium Italian oil at a 25 percent markup. This costs Greece up to $350 million annually in lost revenue, according to To Vima. Only 5 percent of Greek olive oil is sold abroad under Greek labels, compared to 70 percent for Spain and nearly 100 percent for Italy.
Spain, the world’s largest producer, is projected to yield 1.41 million tons in 2024-25, commanding nearly half the global market with 320 million olive trees. Greece, with an 8 percent share, lags behind. The lack of branding and marketing mirrors Greece’s struggles with products like feta and yogurt, where “Greek-style” imitations like Chobani have captured global markets.
A stroll through a U.S. supermarket reveals olive oils from Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Morocco, and Portugal, but Greek oils are conspicuously absent. Even countries like Germany and Belgium, which lack olive groves, manage to sell olive oil. Tom Suring, founder of an olive oil brand near Ancient Olympia, told Olive Oil Times, “Our olive oil is crafted from olives grown in Greece… through a process characterized by meticulous attention to detail.”
The global olive oil market, valued at $15.6 billion in 2025, is expected to reach $20 billion by 2032. Spain, Italy, and Greece account for over 70 percent of production, but Greece reaps little recognition. A national strategy to promote Greek branding could reclaim market share and prestige, ensuring Greece’s “green gold” gets the global spotlight it deserves.
Source: www.thenationalherald.com
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Branding, bulk olive oil sales, extra virgin olive oil, global olive oil production, Greece Exports, Greek, Greek olive oil, health, Italian olive oil, Mediterranean diet, olive oil, olive oil market
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