Türkiye rises as major global producer of olive oil and table olives

Türkiye surpassed Italy in the production of olive and olive oil, becoming the second largest producer after Spain, according to the International Olive Council (IOC).

Jaime Lillo, executive director of the Madrid-based IOC, told Anadolu that Türkiye is now an indispensable country for the olive sector.

“Looking at the data from the last five seasons (2020–2025), Türkiye seems to have consolidated its position as the world’s second-largest producer of olive oil and table olives,” he said.

“Türkiye already makes a great contribution to the olive community,” he noted.

“As we said, it is a major olive oil and table oil producer, not only for its population but also for the growing international market,” he said. “Türkiye is already contributing to global health, as people consume olive oil and table olives worldwide, but also to the planet via the groves that have grown and continue to grow in Türkiye.”

Lillo stated that Türkiye has become the world’s largest producer of table olives, surpassing Egypt, with its “extraordinary season in 2024–25.”

He noted that global olive oil exports rose 25 percent in the 2024–25 season, with Türkiye contributing to the rise with a 132 percent increase.

Strong IOC engagement

Lillo noted that Türkiye has been represented by an executive director deputy within the IOC since 2023, and has been “very dynamic, very supportive, and involved in the main projects of the council.”

He stated that there is an internationally recognised collection of olive trees in the southwestern Turkish resort city of Izmir, and the IOC is seeking solutions for the challenges the sector is facing, like climate crisis, and the collection, as well as the olive gene bank in the city played key roles in the endeavour.

“Climate change is already visible in production data,” he said, noting that consecutive below-average harvests — once unseen — drove the sharp price surge in recent years.

Lillo said the IOC is working with experts to adapt to the climate crisis, noting its clear impact on Mediterranean olive production and the role of olive trees as natural carbon sinks.

He noted that the coronavirus pandemic was a turning point for the olive sector -- when the world came to a standstill.

“At that moment when the world stopped, we stayed at home, and somehow, it showed what was most important, which was health, taking care of ourselves, taking care of our families, cooking at home … And at that moment, there was an unprecedented increase in olive oil consumption, not only in traditional markets, but also in new markets, such as the US, Canada, Brazil, China, and Japan,” he said.

IOC’s extended report

The IOC reported that the global average olive oil production in the 2000 - 2001 and 2004 - 2005 seasons reached 3.1 million tons, 320,000 tons of which were produced in Türkiye, making up 10 percent of the total.

Türkiye’s olive oil production fluctuated between seasons, peaking at 505,000 tons in the 2024 - 2025 season, 58 percent above the seasonal harvest average.

In 2025 - 2026, Türkiye is expected to produce 290,000 tons of olive oil, down 43 percent versus the 2024 - 2025 season.

Türkiye’s olive oil consumption is around 170,000 tons per season, or 5.5 percent of the global total. Türkiye consumed as much as 200,000 tons in 2024 - 2025.

The per capita olive oil consumption in Türkiye is estimated to be around 2 kilograms.

Türkiye exports around 96,000 tons of olive oil per season; exports rose by a margin in 2024 - 2025, reaching 160,000 tons, while only 100,000 tons of exports are expected in 2025 - 2026.

Meanwhile, the global olive oil import, considering some of the main markets like Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, non-EU European countries and the US, totaled 59,589 tons in the 2024 - 2025 season, down 45 percent versus the previous season.

In the 2024 - 2025 season, global olive oil exports rose 25 percent, with Türkiye, Tunisia, Spain and Italy contributing the most by 132 percent, 38 percent, 25 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

Table olive production reached 3.3 million tons in the 2024 - 2025 season, while consumption rose 5 percent worldwide. Türkiye, with a 13 percent surge, was the main driver of consumption in this period.

Global olive oil production is estimated to reach 3.44 million tons in the 2025 - 2026 season, while table olive production is expected to hit 2.9 million tons.