Tunisia is the world’s third largest exporter of olive oil, after Spain and Italy. But staying competitive in a crowded global market requires improving productivity, efficiency and olive oil quality. Production and price volatility also create a challenging environment for Tunisian producers.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), organised a one day event in Tunis on 7 March along with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fishing. The conference was attended by more than 60 public and private industry players from across Tunisia to discuss how to drive the sector forward.

During the conference, the Tunisian Government underscored its commitment to bringing the private sector to the table to build a more competitive, inclusive and sustainable olive oil sector.

“Olive oil is vital to our nation’s economy, and the private sector has an important role to play, particularly in the policy discussions that will shape the future of our industry,” said Chokri Bayoudh, Director-General of Tunisia’s Office National de l’Huile. Read on here.