International Olive Oil Competition Moves to Cyprus for the First Time

Cyprus hosted one of the most prestigious international competitions for olive oil producers, TerraOlivo Mediterranean 2024, for the first time.

TerraOlivo 2024 took place from June 16 to 19 at the Larnaka Sandy Beach Hotel. It is one of the largest global forums and is regarded as the number one competition in Asia, ranking among the top five worldwide according to the EVOO World Ranking (EVOOWR) due to its high complexity.

Previously held in Israel for 15 years, this year's venue was switched to Larnaka due to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The organizers aim to host the competition in Cyprus every two years.

Approximately 160 producers from around the world participated in the competition, including 10 from Cyprus. Thirty specialized and distinguished tasters from 20 countries, including two Cypriots (Marinos Marinou and Dimitris Taliotis), evaluated around 400 samples of olive oil. The awards ceremony will take place in early July at an event in Israel.

This year, the competition will introduce a special award for the "Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Cyprus."

"These large-scale competitions help promote Cypriot olive oil internationally. Cyprus has excellent olive oil producers; we just need to promote it more," said one of the forum's organizers.

Greek agronomist and TerraOlivo judge Costas Liris also praised the exceptional quality of Cypriot olive oil.

"Cyprus has olive oil samples that are outstanding and can compete with olive oils not only from Greece but also from Italy, Spain, and South America," the expert stated.

Earlier in January, it was reported that olive oil prices in Cyprus had risen by 49%. Prices soared again before Easter.