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Spain with over 300 million olive trees is the number one producer of olive oil at 35% of world production, with 75% of that coming from Andalusia. Spain was the first country to establish a "Denomination of Origin" for olive oils. The types of olives grown in Spain are the arbequina and verdial varieties of Catalonia, and the hojiblanca, piqual, cornicabra, and lechin varieties of the south. The piqual variety of the south accounts for 50% of all olive trees in Spain.
The second largest producer with 24% of worldwide production is Italy. Italians who consume 10 quarts of olive oil per person per year do not produce enough oil for their domestic consumption, yet they are one of the largest exporters of olive oil in the world. Much of their oil is imported, bottled and exported as an Italian product. Spain is their major supplier. |
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