In 2024, a Chinese delegation visited 154 Príncipe de Vergara Street in Madrid. A priori, one might think that it is nothing that does not occur relatively frequently in most capitals of the world. And it would be true.
After all, the only strange thing about the matter is that, in that corner of the country, is the headquarters of the International Olive Council.
What does China look like in the international olive oil market?
It’s a surprisingly simple question. The ‘Asian giant’ is a leader in many things, but there is one in which it is nobody: oil. According to the statistics we haveChina represents only 4% of world oil imports. Despite the enormous amount of vegetable oils that Beijing devours, the olive is an inconsequential product on a social, economic and cultural level.
However, none of that data interests us. The key is another: that consumption is expected to grow at 7% annually and that, in the medium term, are big words.
And China knows it. That is why, while the international market continues to lurch, Beijing has already designed a plan to become a mixed player (it not only wants a role in marketing, but also a producer willing to sit at the table of the elders).
This would not only give it a margin of security (and independence) in the country’s food policy, it would also allow it to reinforce its commitment to the modernization of rural China.
And what are you going to do for it? Planting olive trees as if there were no tomorrow and learning from the best for it. Right now, the heart of Chinese production is around Longnanin Gansu province. In the Wudu district alone it has twice as many hectares as Almería and produced 56,900 tons of fresh olives in 2024 (about 8,200 of virgin oil).
But the focus now It is located in Sichuan: It is a province with inland valleys, medium altitude and a climate that fits the Mediterranean olive tree like a glove. The province already had scattered plantations, but now it is destined to become the “new Jaén.”
Oh really? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated? It is true that in Sichuan the orography is complex, that there may be more humidity than optimal and the mechanization costs will be high; however, the California experience (and its high-density models) is there. And if anyone can achieve it, it is precisely China.
And it seems like he wants to. Or, at least, there are signs that he is going to keep all options open. As the Californian olive grove demonstrates, building a country brand is something that takes a long time. You can’t improvise.
But it seems undeniable that they are getting the bases of it. It is not free for Chinese producers have already achieved win international awards. These are the first steps of what may be the only adversary that Spain will encounter on this path.
Image | Vincent Eisfeld | Li Yang
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