Lleida brings together around twenty Catalan olive oil companies with buyers from six international markets

Lleida once again becomes a meeting point between the Catalan olive oil sector and international markets with the third edition of the Olive Oil Business Forum, held on 10 and 11 November at the Llotja de Lleida. The event brings together 18 Catalan producer and exporter companies with eight importers and distributors from six countries, with the aim of generating new business opportunities, facilitating access to new customers and strengthening the presence of Catalan oil in foreign markets.

The participating buyers come from the United Kingdom, South Korea, Canada, Poland, Serbia and Romania, a selection that combines markets that are well established for the sector with other destinations offering growth and trade diversification opportunities. Over the two days, the Catalan companies will hold 160 individual business meetings, with schedules defined in advance according to the participants' interests.

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The forum features broad territorial representation of the Catalan olive oil sector, with companies from the regions of Lleida, Terres de l’Ebre, Camp de Tarragona, Penedès and Barcelona. Six of the participating companies come from the Lleida regions of Segrià and Garrigues: Actel Grup, Cuadrat Valley, Fruits de Ponent, Oli les Cabanes, Pons and Salvatge. Their participation highlights the weight of the area within the Catalan olive oil sector.

In this regard, Rosalba Arrufat, Head of Sectoral Solutions at Prodeca, notes that «the challenge is not only to open new markets, but to identify the right channels and buyers for each product. Catalan oil has a very diverse offer, with varieties, origins and processes that allow it to compete through differentiation. With the Olive Oil Business Forum we want to connect this offer with buyers who value its uniqueness and build commercial relationships with continuity.»

From ACCIÓ, Marc Moreno, Senior International Strategy Consultant at ACCIÓ, said «the key to this meeting is combining markets at different levels of maturity and growth potential with a selection of buyers who have the real capacity to introduce Catalan oil into their sales channels. We have major distribution operators, e-commerce platforms, gourmet product specialists and foodservice distributors. This diversity makes it possible to reach different consumer segments and adapt business opportunities to the characteristics and needs of each Catalan company».

Jordi Quejido, head of the internationalisation area of the Lleida Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the importance of holding an event of this kind again in Lleida. He also underlined the weight of Lleida companies in the sector—both in production and in national and international marketing—and their prominent role at the forum, where they represent one third of the participating producers.

Catalan oil expands opportunities in international markets

The Catalan olive oil sector is one of the most dynamic in terms of international trade. According to 2025 data, Catalonia supplies olive oil to 118 countries and exceeded €580 million. The sector is in a context of normalisation of international prices after the peaks reached during the production crisis caused by drought.

Europe is consolidating its position as the main export destination for Catalan olive oil, and countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States stand out as leading markets. Among the markets that recorded positive growth, Canada and South Korea stand out, where Catalan olive oil exports grew by 127% and 35.15%, respectively, compared with 2024.

In this context, the Olive Oil Business Forum seeks to strengthen the business opportunities of Catalan companies, diversify destination markets and expand relationships with international operators of different profiles. The participating markets represent around 5% of world olive oil consumption, by value, and are expected to maintain growth of over 12% over the next two years.

From the territory to international markets

As a complement to the business meetings, on 9 November the buyers took part in an immersion day in the Catalan olive oil sector, with visits to producing estates, a guided tasting of oils from different varieties and areas of Catalonia, and a gastronomic experience at Albagés, in the Garrigues. The initiative gave first-hand insight into the territorial diversity, quality and particularities of Catalan oil, as well as the value its origin adds in international markets.

The Olive Oil Business Forum is organised by Prodeca, the Catalan Food Promotion Agency, ACCIÓ, the agency for business growth, and the Lleida Chamber of Commerce. With this third edition, the initiative continues a international business platform that seeks to expand business opportunities for the Catalan olive oil sector.

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