Our work with the Tunisian government and the project to promote Tunisian Olive Oil to the US market is a case in point. Tunisia is the fourth largest producer of olive oil in the world, following Spain, Italy, and Greece. But historically, Tunisian olive oil has been sold in bulk, often to the larger producers mentioned above, and blended for its taste profile. It is certainly 'low-hanging fruit' in terms of sales for Tunisian growers. The problem is that it reduces a remarkable and cherished crop to commodity status, thus a penny a tonne difference in price becomes an 'advantage' to purchasers, but hardly an advantage to Tunisia.
In a world filled with cheap, adulterated oils, olive oil exports from Tunisia are carefully controlled by the ONH (l'Office National de l'Huile) to ensure quality and conformity with IOOC standards. This pure, 100% Tunisian assurance provides a definite selling advantage over many inferior oils. The ONH provides a great platform for marketing Tunisia and its oils, and a 'soapbox' from which individual brands in Tunisia can shout their points of differentiation.
In the US, Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) has been in place for some time. But our goal is to move Tunisia from the back of the bottle to the front--where it can be prominently displayed for consumer assurances. Does this take the place of product branding for individual brands from Tunisia? Certainly not. The US market is mature and saturated with olive oils produced domestically and from every corner of the earth where olives are grown. Brands must still invest heavily to find an audience in the US and drive home their individual stories. But from a broader perspective, 100% Tunisian is the starting point for brands large and small, to tout their Tunisian heritage, culture, and excellence in olive oil production. These things, after all, have made it a dominant world player in the arena of olive oil for thousands of years.
(Ancient Olive Oil Press at the Ruins at Thuburbo Majus)
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