Türkiye has overtaken Italy to become the world’s second-largest producer of olive oil after Spain, while also rising to the top spot in table olives, according to the International Olive Council (IOC).
Jaime Lillo, executive director of the Madrid-based IOC, told Anadolu Agency that Türkiye has “consolidated its position” over the past five seasons and has become “indispensable” for the sector.
IOC figures show Türkiye’s olive oil production reached 505,000 tonnes (metric tons) in the provisional 2024/25 season, a 135 percent year-on-year jump that the council listed among the standout increases globally.
The bumper season also lifted table olive output. The IOC estimated global table olive production at 3.316 million tonnes in 2024/25, with Türkiye recording one of the sharpest increases among member countries, while Egypt — which accounts for a large share of world output — posted a decline.
Lillo said Türkiye became the world’s largest table olive producer in 2024/25, surpassing Egypt, and added that Türkiye helped drive a rise in global olive oil exports, pointing to what he described as a 132 percent jump in Türkiye’s exports in the same season.
The council expects output to ease next season. IOC estimates put world olive oil production at 3.44 million tonnes in 2025/26, slightly below 2024/25, while global table olive production is forecast to fall to 2.986 million tonnes.
Lillo said climate change is increasingly visible in harvest patterns and market volatility, arguing that back-to-back weak seasons contributed to the steep price rises seen in recent years.
He said the IOC is working on adaptation efforts, including projects linked to genetic resources and carbon accounting. Lillo pointed to an internationally recognised olive tree collection and olive gene bank in İzmir as part of that work.
The IOC is also preparing to deposit genetic material from major olive varieties at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault by late February, and plans a pilot programme across more than 600 farms in 29 countries to help producers measure carbon balance, Lillo said.
He added that olive oil consumption surged during the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers cooked more at home, with demand rising not only in traditional markets but also in countries such as the United States, Canada, Brazil, China and Japan.
The IOC describes olive oil as a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet and links it to a growing body of research on health outcomes, though it cautions that findings vary by study design and dietary patterns.
