The Mediterranean Diet and Olive Oil Production in Spain

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by Lauren Whittemore

Introduction

Various regions of Spain, particularly Barcelona and Andalucia, are working to promote the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, particularly its heavy use of olive oil, one of Spain's primary agricultural products, as a way to promote their regional agriculture. While the olive industry has been extremely important to Spain throughout its history, the current use of the Mediterranean Diet to promote Spain's olive and the olive oil industry provides an example of how the promotion of regional identites and products on a continental or world-wide scale can be used as a strategy for promoting regional economies.

Andalucia

El Instituto de la Alimentación Mediterránea [Institute of the Mediterranean Diet], a division of the regional Andalucian government, works to advance the regional agriculture of Andalucia, Spain's principal olive producing region, through the promotion of the traditional Mediterranean Diet.  On its website (http://www.iamed.net) the institute lists its main goal and how it plans to realize this goal:

El Instituto de la Alimentación Mediterránea trabaja para adaptar al sector agroalimentario andaluz a los retos constantes que plantean las novedades continuas en el marco socio-económico: la globalización, los cambios estructurales de la cadena de distribución alimentaria, las nuevas preferencias del consumidor,...
[The Institue of the Mediterranean Diet works to adapt the Andalucian agro-food sector to the constant new challenges posed in the socio-economic framework: globalization, changes in the structure of food distribution networks, new consumer preferences,…] (translated by author)

La Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca de la Junta de Andalucía aporta soluciones estratégicas al complejo agroinsdustrial andaluz para que éste continúe compitiendo con éxito en un mercado tan exigente com el alimentario: El Instituto de la Alimentación Mediterránea (IAMED) responde a estas necesidades. Apostando por un nuevo modelo de organización: el trabajo en red y la cooperación internacional.
[The Council of Agriculture and Fish of the [Junta] of Andalucia provides strategic solutions to the Andalucian agro-industrial complex so that it can continute to compete successfully in a market as competitive as the food market. The Institute of Mediterranean Diet (IAMED) responds to these necessities, working through a new model of organization: work in the internet and internacional cooperation.] (translated by author)
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The concern of IAMED with promoting Andalucia's regional agriculture on an increasingly globalized world market through promoting the region's traditional cuisine provides an example of the importance that food products such as olive oil have for both Andalucia's economy and its regional identity within Europe.

Barcelona

The website http://www.dietamediterranea.com/ is funded by the Association for the Advancement of the Mediterranean Diet (ADDM), "A group of leading businesses from the agro-food sector founded with the aim of stimulating the consumption of traditional products from the Mediterranean Basin," and the Foundation for the Advancement of the Mediterranean Diet (FDDM) which aims "to keep updated on scientific knowledge that substantiates the virtues of this dietary model,"[5]. A visitor to the website can read about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet in three languages: English, Spanish, and Catalan. One page of the site encourages readers to visit Barcelona to experience the Mediterranean way of life. 

The website describes the history of the Mediterranean Diet:
"Over the centuries peoples of the Mediterranean Basin have dedicated much of their effort and wisdom to perfecting the art of living. The sea, for generations a reference of innumerable events, is the symbolic testimony of the evolution of one of the world's healthiest, tastiest and most balanced diets. From Ancient Egypt and Classical Greece to current times, distinct Mediterranean cultures and civilizations have contributed to this great common legacy the best of their knowledge, art and gastronomy.
The Mediterranean Diet is a concept that goes beyond simply utilising certain ingredients or recipes. It's best understood when the climate, geography, customs and lifestyles of Mediterranean people are taken into account.
Today, the international scientific community recognises the advantages of generous intakes of olive oil, pulses and nuts, pasta and cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy products and fish, and moderate consumption of wine, cava and fresh and cured meats. All this to confirm what past generations have known for hundreds of years." [6]

In marketing the Mediterranean Diet, this passage ties cuisine, lifestye, culture, and history together, painting an idealized picture of the Mediterranean and how its population has perfected "the art of living." The passage portrays the Mediterranean as compromising "distinct...cultures and civilizations" while and the same time sharing a "great common legacy." The website recognizes that the populations of many distinct regions bordering the Mediterranean identify with the Mediterranean Diet but it still promotes Barcelona in association with this cuisine, providing an example of how a European region or city can identify with a sub-European identity like "Mediterranean Culture" while at the same time having national and European identity.

History of the Olive Industry in Spain

Olives have been an important agricultural product in Spain for a long time. In "The Olive Industry of Spain," published in the April 1936 edition of the journal Economic Geography, the author, William E. Bull, outlines the history of olive oil production in Spain up to that point. The Romans encouraged the planting of olive orchards after their occupation of the Iberian Peninsula in 206 B.C. Although the olive industry decreased in production during the reign of the Visigoths, it became important again under Arab rule in the 8th century with new irrigation technology increasing the size of orchards. The promotion of the olive industry in the 19th century was advanced in 1884 when schools of olive cultivation were created. [7]

In 1898 Spain lost two of its colonies, Cuba and the Phillipines, resulting in a currency devalutation. At this time the government began to focus more attention on domestic issues and the Spanish olive oil industry began to gain importance on the world market. [8] The following map shows that regions along the Mediterranean produced 99% of the world's olive in 1936, with particularly large areas of Spain devoted to olive production:

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Increased government intervention in the first decade of the 20th century in the form of 25 new laws regulating all aspects of olive oil production along with the appearance of finer grades of oil resulted in a huge increase in exports. By 1914, Spain had become one of the world’s greatest exporters of olive oil in the world. In 1924 the first "Oil Conference" was held in Madrid, resulting in the formation of the Federation of Olive Oil Exporters in Spain, which aimed to unify the nation's olive exports and increase business with foreign markets. In 1925 the National Association of Olive Growers was created in order "to protect the olive industry in all its technical, economic, and commercial aspects," [10]. The following map depicts olive production specifically in Spain in 1936, illustrating that production was mainly concentrated in the southern region of Andalucia with a smaller concentration in Catalunya, in northeastern Spain where Barcelona is located.

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In the conclusion of his article, Bull had several predictions for the future of Spain's olive oil production. He points out that The National Association of Olive Growers of Spain had not acquired sufficient political influence to legislate changes to the industry. He recommends: "the establishment of favorable trade agreements; the organization of the growers, setting definitive rules about quality of oils, mixing, processing, etc.; the organization of the exporters, lumping their efforts, their advertising facilities, and establishing uniform brands of superior qualities, and the prohibition of the importation of other oils which can more cheaply be replaced by native olive oil." Bull also points out that "There is no general indication that any of these ends will by accomplished very soon...however, there is considerable agitation upon the part of the more intelligent growers and exporters" [12].   Sadly, the Spanish Civil war broke out in July of 1936, just two months after this article was published. The resulting political, social, and economic upheaval disrupted the country greatly and much of the changes proposed by Bull would not be implemented for several decades.

Bull's article illustrates how deeply engrained the olive industry is in various regions of Spain and how important olives and olive oil have been to the country's economy throughout history. Some of the recommendations that he made for Spain's olive industry concerning standards for the quality of olive oil have been realized through the regulation of the European Union's olive oil sector.

Olive Production in the European Union Today

"The olive oil sector in the European Union," published in 2003, outlines the current state of olive oil production in various states in the European Union as well as the European Union's apparatus for regulating olive oil production and its aims for future improvement of the quality of European olive oil. The European Union leads the world in olive oil production, producing 80% and consuming 70% of the world's olive oil. [13] The history of the olive oil sector in the EU provides and interesting example of how the EU’s economy has changed with the ascension of new states.  At the time of the first common organization of the market in 1966, Italy was the only significant olive producer in the European Community, but with the ascension of Greece in 1981, and Portugal and Spain in 1986 “the EU was transformed from being a net importer to a net exporter and into the key player in the world trade of olive oil.” [14] The current goals of EU olive oil policy are to improve the quality of EU olive oil through regulating quality and improving labelling so that consumers have a clearer idea of the grade of olive oil that they are buying. The EU has also entrusted the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) with creating promotional campaigns in countries outside of the EU. [15]
 

Conclusion

Olive growing and the production of olive oil have been important in Spain and in the rest of the Mediterranean region for thousands of years.  Over the previous century the promotion of Spainish olive production and exports has progressed from the first organizations aiming to unify export policy and expand foreign markets to the promotion of the Mediterranean Diet and lifestyle as well. The promotion of the Mediterranean Diet illustrates how the export of a regional cuisine and lifestyle can be used as a means of stimulating the local economy.  The current structure of the olive oil sector in the European Union shows how the EU has had to adapt to accommodate this sector as more olive-producing nations have joined the EU. While the EU provides some supra-national structure to the olive oil industry, different regions, such as Andalucia and Barcelona, that are included in the EU's olive oil sector still feel compelled to promote the agricultural products of their regions specifically.

The balance between supra-national concerns and national concerns is one of the EU and its member states's greatest challenges. The formation of a cultural identity that incorporates the member states while allowing for the retention of regional identifications is an important aim for the future. Anthony Smith expresses a vision for the future of a European identity that could coexist with regional/national identities: "Shaping a cultural identity that will be both distinctive and inclusive, differentiating yet assmilative, may yet constitute the supreme challenge for a Europe that seeks to create itself out of its ancient family of ethnic cultures." [16]

Footnotes

1.Dieta Mediterranea: The Mediterranean Diet. [cited November 21, 2005]. Available from http://www.dietamediterranea.com

2. "Dieta Mediterranea: Alimentos, Cantidades y Frecuencia," in Sabor Mediterraneo: Revista Digital de Gastronomia Mediterranea [electronic magazine]. [cited November 21, 2005]. Available from http://www.sabormediterraneo.com/salud/dietamediterranea.htm

3."Dieta Mediterranea: Alimentos, Cantidades y Frecuencia," in Sabor Mediterraneo: Revista Digital de Gastronomia Mediterranea [electronic magazine]. [cited November 21, 2005]. Available from http://www.sabormediterraneo.com/salud/dietamediterranea.htm

4.Instituto de la Alimentacion Mediterranea: Consejeria de Agricultura y Pesca de la Junta de Andalucia. [cited November 21, 2005]. Available from http://www.iamed.net

5.Dieta Mediterranea: The Mediterranean Diet. [cited November 21, 2005]. Available fromhttp://www.dietamediterranea.com

6.Dieta Mediterranea: The Mediterranean Diet. [cited November 21, 2005]. Available from http://www.dietamediterranea.com

7. Bull, William E., "The Olive Industry of Spain," Economic Geography, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Apr., 1936), 134-137.

8. Bull, 137.

9. Bull, 141.

10. Bull, 137-138.

11. Bull, 143.

12. Bull, 154.

13. "The olive oil sector in the European Union," 1. http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/publi/fact/oliveoil/2003_en.pdf. [cited November 18, 2005].

14. "The olive oil sector in the European Union," 2.

15. "The olive oil sector in the European Union," 3-4.

16. Smith, Anthony D., "National Identity and the European Idea," International Affairs, Vol. 68, No. 1 (Jan. 1992)

Bibliography

Bull, William E., “The Olive Industry of Spain,” Economic Geography, Vol. 12, No.2 (Apr., 1936), 136-154.

Curtis, Brian M., MD; O'Keefe, Jr., James H., MD. "Understanding the Mediterranean Diet: Could this be the new 'Gold Standard' for Heart Disease Prevention?" Postgraduate Medicine, Vol 112, No 2 (August 2002), [cited November 22, 2005] Available from: http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2002/08_02/curtis.htm.

Dieta Mediterranea: The Mediterranean Diet. [cited November 21, 2005]. Available from www.dietamediterranea.com.

"Dieta Mediterranea: Alimentos, Cantidades y Frecuencia," in Sabor Mediterraneo: Revista Digital de Gastronomia Mediterranea [electronic magazine]. [cited November 21, 2005]. Available from http://www.sabormediterraneo.com/salud/dietamediterranea.htm.

European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture, “The olive oil sector in the European Union,” [cited November 18, 2005]. http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/publi/fact/oliveoil/2003_en.pdf.

Instituto de la Alimentacion Mediterranea: Consejeria de Agricultura y Pesca de la Junta de Andalucia. [cited November 21, 2005]. Available from http://www.iamed.net.

"McDonalds y la nutricion: Variedad," [cited November 21, 2005]. Available from http://www.mcdonalds.es/nutricion/variedad.htm .

Smith, Anthony D., "National Identity and the European Idea," International Affairs, Vol. 68, No. 1 (Jan. 1992)

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