Argentina declares olive oil a ‘national food’

Bringing to fruition an initiative that began in La Rioja province last month, Argentina’s National Chamber of Deputies has approved a bill to make olive oil a ‘national food.’ The initiative aims to promote the production, marketing and domestic consumption of olive oil products through the creation of the Federal Program for the Promotion of Argentine Olive Oil, according to ANDigital.

“[The initiative] aims to strengthen the regional economies of our country. One goal is to diversify marketing of a product with such high social and commercial appreciation and to thereby expand consumption in the local market,” said Javier Tineo, the La Rioja deputy who authored the bill.