The relationship between the flavor of a good extra virgin olive oil and what happens beneath the surface of the soil is once again at the center of debate with the new edition of the international competition promoted by the European project Soil O-LiveThis competition, held in Jaén, reinforces the idea that the quality of EVOO literally begins in the land and not just in the olive mill.
In its third edition, The Soil Health & Olive Oil Quality Awards takes another step forward by incorporating a new specific category of ripe fruit, designed to recognize oils with sweeter and more evolved sensory profiles, but which come from olive groves managed with high sustainability standards and soils with remarkable biological activity.
The new ripe fruit category is born
The main novelty of this third edition is the creation of an award for the ripe fruity oilsThis new type of oil, which until now had been somewhat overshadowed by the traditional medium and intense green fruity oils, expands the range of recognized organoleptic profiles without lowering its standards regarding the health of the soil from which the oils originate.
The aim of this new category is to reward those farms that, even by opting for a harvest that results in a more mature sensory profile, are able to maintain soils with high biological quality and to obtain outstanding extra virgin olive oils. Ultimately, the aim is to show that excellence can be achieved with different styles of oil, provided the agronomic foundation is sound.
Alongside this newly added category, the competition maintains its awards for the best oils of medium green fruity and intense green fruityas well as a special prize for the healthiest soil among all the samples submitted. This combination allows for the comparison of very different olive grove management practices, but with a common denominator: the pursuit of healthy and productive soils in the long term.
The organization emphasizes that the inclusion of ripe fruit is an important symbolic step, as it acknowledges that the The biological quality of the soil is compatible with various organoleptic profilesalways within the parameters of purity and excellence required by a high-end extra virgin olive oil.
A unique competition that links olive oil and soil health
The Soil Health & Olive Oil Quality Awards competition has established itself as a benchmark, being, according to its promoters, the only contest in the world which jointly evaluates the sensory and chemical quality of the extra virgin olive oil and the biological state of the soil of origin. It's not just about tasting oils, but also about studying what is happening in the land where those olives come from.
The European project Soil O-Live, coordinated by the University of Jaen And with Deoleo's strategic vision, the company has been scientifically demonstrating for years the connection between healthy soil and higher quality oil. To do this, it analyzes parameters such as the soil's natural respiration, the polyphenol content of the oils, and their resistance to oxidation, establishing a direct link between olive grove management and the final product in the bottle.
During the official presentation, held in Jaén, it was emphasized that this competition consolidates a line of work that blends science and agricultural practice. The research developed within the framework of Soil O-Live is already considered a European leader in soil monitoringparticularly through the use of indicators aligned with the future European Soil Monitoring Act.
For the organizers, focusing on soil health is not just an environmental issue; it's also a strategic commitment for the European olive oil sector. Soil with good biological activity, high water retention capacity, and a stable structure translates into more resilient olive groves, less dependent on external inputs, and with a greater capacity to produce. stable, pure and differentiated oils.
Jaén, epicenter of the presentation and voice of the scientific community
The presentation of this third edition took place in Jaén, a key province on the European olive oil map, with the participation of the Vice-Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer of the University of Jaén, Victoria López Ramón; Deoleo's Sustainability Technician, Bartolomé Lara; and the coordinator of the Soil O-Live project, Antonio Manzaneda.
López Ramón emphasized that the competition reaffirms itself as the only one that rigorously evaluates the relationship between the biological soil health and the excellence of EVOOIn his opinion, the incorporation of the ripe fruity category represents a key moment, recognizing the diversity of oil styles without abandoning the scientific rigor in soil evaluation.
The vice-rector insisted that research is the foundation for transforming the economic and environmental landscape towards more sustainable models, and pointed to the Soil O-Live project as an example of collaboration between university, companies and institutionsIn his speech, he stressed that investing in applied science in olive groves is also a way to improve the well-being of the region and strengthen a strategic sector for Spain.
For his part, Bartolomé Lara, representing Deoleo, emphasized that the value of the competition lies in the fact that it not only recognizes the sensory quality of the oil, but also integrates the ecological dimension of the estate of origin. With this shared perspective, the sector has a tool to move towards a model in which the product quality and ecosystem health go hand in hand.
Antonio Manzaneda, the project coordinator, emphasized the consolidation of the initiative after three years and the growing interest it is generating among producers in Spain and other Mediterranean countries. He explained that the central message is clear: "The soil is the starting point for excellence," and caring for the land should not be seen as a burden, but rather as a factor that can make all the difference in the market.
International projection: from the Andalusian olive grove to the Mediterranean
One of the defining features of this edition is the strong international dimension of the competition. In addition to the prominent presence of Spanish olive mills and estates, significant participation is expected from producers in Greece, Italy, Portugal and, most notably, Morocco.
Morocco's involvement has been strengthened following the hosting of the annual meeting of the international consortium Soil O-Live, where numerous olive growers were invited to join the project. This openness towards both sides of the Mediterranean allows for comparison. olive grove management strategies under diverse climatic conditions, but with similar challenges in terms of drought, erosion and loss of soil fertility.
For the University of Jaén and its partner institutions, this internationalization serves to position Jaén and, by extension, the region. Spain as a living laboratory of innovation in sustainable olive growing. At the same time, producers from other Mediterranean countries can take advantage of the experience accumulated in the Andalusian region and share their own successful soil conservation practices.
The European character of the project is supported by its full funding through the program Horizon Europe of the European Union. Within this framework, 15 academic, scientific and business entities are collaborating to develop soil assessment methods, design more respectful agronomic practices and demonstrate their direct impact on oil quality.
This working network allows combining advanced scientific knowledge with the field experience of olive growers and olive mills, so that the proposed solutions are applicable in real farms, both in large estates and in small family farms spread throughout the Mediterranean arc.
How to participate: requirements, deadlines and samples
The registration period for the competition remains open until 3 JuneDuring this period, each olive mill or company interested in participating must submit two different types of samples, which will be the basis of the joint analysis of oil and soil.
On the one hand, the shipment of 500 milliliters of extra virgin olive oil corresponding to the batch submitted to the competition. This sample will be the one that is subjected to both the physicochemical analyses and the sensory evaluation by the international panel of experts.
On the other hand, a sample is required of 50 grams of the topsoil layer from the olive grove of origin, accompanied by the exact geographical coordinates of the plot. Thanks to this information, the technical team can verify the traceability of the process and confirm, using satellite imagery, that there is a real link between the analyzed land and the oil submitted.
This verification system aims to guarantee the transparency of the competition and prevent the submission of oils without a clear correlation to a specific soil. In this way, the results obtained in the competition more accurately reflect the interaction between agronomic management, soil condition and EVOO quality.
The combination of laboratory data, GPS coordinates, and satellite observation tools also provides a valuable basis for further research on how soils and olive groves respond to different cultivation models, plant cover management, or irrigation and fertilization strategies.
Two-phase evaluation: science and tasting
The selection of the winning oils is organized into two clearly differentiated stages, which seek to integrate the scientific view of soil with the sensory evaluation of the final product. The first phase, of a technical nature, takes place during the month of May and is focused on the analysis of the soil health of each participating olive grove.
In this initial stage, the Soil O-Live scientific committee evaluates the soil samples using the parameter of basal soil respirationThis indicator measures microbial activity and is aligned with the criteria set out in the upcoming European soil monitoring regulations. Only olive groves with the highest levels of biological quality will pass this test.
Only those oil samples from healthy soils advance to the second phase, which focuses on tasting. This final phase is scheduled for... 4 June and will bring together an international panel of experts, with representatives from the International Olive Council (IOC), IFAPA, the University of Jaén and Deoleo itself.
The tasters will evaluate the oils as ripe fruity, medium green fruity, and intense green fruity, following the official IOC regulations, paying attention to both the intensity and clarity of the positive attributes and the absence of defects. The goal is for the award-winning oils to meet a dual standard: excellence in canopy and high soil quality originally.
In this way, the competition creates a framework in which a good result in the tasting is not enough on its own to obtain recognition; it is essential that the oil comes from an olive grove with solid indicators of biological health, thus reinforcing the message that true quality begins in the land.
Soil O-Live: science, sustainability and the European olive oil sector
The competition is part of the European project Soil O-LiveThis initiative, coordinated by the University of Jaén and fully funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe program, brings together 15 academic institutions, research centers, and companies with a common goal: to promote olive grove management practices that improve soil health and, consequently, the quality of extra virgin olive oil produced in Europe and the Mediterranean.
The consortium's lines of work include the development of reliable indicators to measure the biological status of soils, the design of cultivation strategies that reduce erosion and increase organic matter, and the evaluation of the impact of all these measures on key parameters of oilssuch as its oxidative stability or its phenolic compound profile.
The link between science and the productive sector is one of the project's strengths. The participation of large companies, olive oil mills, cooperatives, and individual producers allows for testing laboratory hypotheses against real-world conditions in the field, conducting trials on different types of farms and under varying climatic conditions within Spain and other partner countries.
The project also focuses on training and knowledge transfer, organizing technical workshops, meetings with olive growers, and outreach activities to bring research results closer to those who make day-to-day decisions in olive groves. The international competition on oils and soils has thus become a kind of showcase of good practices and a lever to accelerate the shift towards more sustainable production models.
In a context marked by concerns about drought, soil degradation, and the need to differentiate products in the global market, initiatives like Soil O-Live and the creation of the new ripe fruit category indicate that the path forward lies in integrating quality, sustainability, and scientific rigor. The competition held in Jaén not only awards prizes but also helps to redefine what we understand by excellence in the European extra virgin olive oil And what role does soil health play in that concept?