Olive Oil News

Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton has spoken in Parliament about the need for further regulation in the olive oil industry to ensure an appropriate standard of olive oil labelling which would benefit both producers and consumers. Mr Coulton said that a significant number of imported olive oils are failing to comply with Australia’s national standard and that misleading labelling practices are affecting the viability of our domestic olive oil industry.

Breda McCarthy from James Cook University is profiling buyers of organic food in Queensland to understand their motives, attitudes and shopping behaviour. The research should help producers, growers and retailers learn more about consumers’ interest in, and knowledge of, organic standards, and its implications for marketing practice. Access the survey http://jcubusiness.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_7Pr7WEjtTnUpNBy

There’s only a week left to enter our great 2012 Quality is Clear Cut Subscriber Competition, generously sponsored by Eclipse Enterprises Australia. Just tell us about how you prune your grove and you’ll be in the running to win one of three great prizes, each valued at over $2,600. Entry forms are in the March-May and June-July editions of Olivegrower & Processor, or via the competition link in this newsletter. As growers have been flat out with harvest and production, the closing date has been extended to June 30 , so don’t miss out on your chance to win the latest new pruning equipment from Campagnola.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Adelaide is inviting olive oil producers to join an Australian delegation of exhibitors at Salone del Gusto 2012, a biennial international trade fair focused on “slow food” products. Being held in Turin, Italy on 25-29 October, and hosted by Slow Food Internatiuona, the event is a marketplace for small‐scale sustainable and artisanal producers. ICCI business development manager Antonio Rosato said Salone del Gusto provides a unique opportunity to represent the diversity of the Australia regional food products and cultures to an
international audience. The chamber is co-ordinating a 72sqm Australian stand, which will house nine exhibitors and include an open tasting area, and can assist with shipping of product and other practical details. For more information, or to submit a registration of interest, email Antonio at [email protected].

Producers wanting to learn about organic farming can now do so for a fraction of the cost. Biological Farmers of Australia, BFA, is subsidising the cost of the Diploma in Agriculture (Organic Production) organic farming course for 55 students. The 18-month long curriculum is focused on developing plans to change or develop systems towards organic, and is offered through TAFE NSW Riverina Institute via correspondence. Students are linked with a mentor in their region to help them. A $400,000 grant from the National Workforce Development Fund means students only pay a third of course costs. For more information contact Rob Fenton on 0408 227 624 or [email protected].

The AOA is updating its database to ensure its efficiency and relevancy, and have enlisted the help of university student Georgia Walden to assist with the task. Georgia will be contacting every person on the database to ascertain whether they still wish to be on the list and to ensure that details are correct. Any comments are welcomed to Lisa Rowntree at [email protected] or the AOA office on (08) 8573 6545.

Social media use is increasing, and that could be good news for manufacturers of branded products, as frequent social media users tend to be more loyal to name brands, according to new research from the NPD Group.

FIG & OLIVE, one of New York’s premier restaurants with a location in Scarsdale, NY, has introduced its first kid’s menu. FIG & OLIVE boasts an exquisite selection of more than 30 extra virgin olive oils from throughout the Mediterranean. The kid’s menu was created under the restaurant’s philosophy that extra virgin olive oil better accentuates food’s natural flavor than butter and offers five kid’s meal classics with a gourmet twist.