FT column reignites olive oil rivalry: is Spanish oil superior?

A Financial Times opinion piece published this week has stirred the perennial debate over Mediterranean olive oil, arguing that Spanish oil is far superior to Italian. The column, titled "Sorry, but Spanish olive oil is far superior to Italian," follows years of shifting dynamics in the global olive oil market, where Spain has long been the largest producer.

For Puglia, the claim lands on fertile ground. The region is one of Italy's principal olive-growing areas, and its groves have been battered in recent years by Xylella, a bacterial disease that has devastated trees across the Salento peninsula. The FT column does not mention Puglia, but the region's struggle to maintain quality and quantity in the face of disease and climate stress frames the broader Italian response.

The FT piece is an opinion column rather than a news report, and its argument rests on taste and production methods rather than data. It reflects a broader trend in international food coverage, where Spanish olive oil has gained recognition for consistency and value, while Italian oil has faced scrutiny over quality control and the impact of Xylella on yields.

The Xylella crisis has been covered extensively by foreign outlets, with the disease killing millions of olive trees in Puglia since its detection in 2013. The FT column does not reference the disease, but the context is unavoidable for anyone following the region's agriculture. Italian producers have argued that the disease, not a lack of skill, has damaged the country's reputation and output.

The debate also touches on consumer trends. The Jerusalem Post this week examined the trend of adding olive oil to coffee, a practice promoted on social media with claims about balancing hormones and burning fat, which experts say are unsupported. That story, like the FT column, reflects the international appetite for olive oil stories — and the pressure on Italian producers to defend their product's standing.

For Puglia, the stakes are economic. Olive oil is a cornerstone of the regional economy, and the FT's dismissal of Italian quality, however subjective, feeds into a narrative that can influence buyers abroad. The region's recovery from Xylella and its investment in resistant varieties will determine whether Italian oil can reclaim its reputation in the international press.