31 July 2026

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Today's top story

The polyphenol race: Inside olive oil’s numbers game

As consumers become more educated about extra virgin olive oil’s health benefits, one metric has become a growing obsession across the industry: polyphenol content.

Australia

Market surveillance and industry standards keep Australian olives on front foot against food fraud

Image:Unsplash



By Laura Thomas

Australia’s olive industry is on the front foot when it comes to safeguarding the domestic market from the effects of food fraud.

Ongoing market surveillance and world-class industry standards are providing quality assessment and assurance, for the benefit of Australian olive producers and consumers alike.

Earlier this week, a Four Corners investigation called into question the integrity of Australia’s food supply. Read more about how having a food product with an Australian standard and regular quality monitoring helps to prevent food fraud.

Decision time for the future of farming in Australia

Ag2050 next steps – scenarios to decisions identifies the near-term decisions, uncertainties and practical actions that will shape Australian agriculture in the coming years.

The dangerous climate driving California’s wildfires — and a warning for Australia

California is once again confronting a rapidly escalating wildfire season fuelled by extreme heat, drying vegetation, drought and strong winds.

AOA Classifieds

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Our online classifieds are an easy and inexpensive solution to advertising your unwanted equipment. And if there’s something you’re looking for, it’s the ideal way to get the message out loud and clear to your peers and industry associates!

Classifieds start from as little as $44 for AOA members ($110 for non-members) and are online now at www.australianolives.com.au/classifieds

For details, rates, or to create a classified, hit the button below.

Safety belongs in every boardroom, not just every paddock

Farm safety isn't only shaped in the paddock.

It's shaped in boardrooms, meetings, industry conferences and every place where decisions are made about the future of Australian agriculture.

As National Farm Safety Week wraps up today, Farmsafe Australia is calling on industry leaders, agribusinesses and agricultural organisations to recognise that safety is a leadership responsibility that deserves a place on every agenda.

BOM: Climate statement 2025–26 now available

Summarises Australia's rainfall, temperature, water availability, and atmosphere and ocean conditions from July 2025 to June 2026.

Agribusiness banker issues land value debt warning

Rocketing land values are driving Australia’s agricultural debt into record levels and rewriting farm-level risk, a banking leader has warned.

While ANZ’s head of agribusiness Mark Bennett is bullish about the future for Australian agriculture, he warned that the gap between farm values/debt over gross production/earnings has never been greater.

50 years of weather watching could help improve farmers' bottom lines

A deep dive into 50 years of official weather records from across western Queensland is helping farmers adapt to a changing climate.

International

Italy tightens rules on blends sold as extra virgin olive oil

Italy has barred blends containing virgin olive oil from being marketed domestically as extra virgin, drawing support from farming groups and legal objections from bottlers.

EU boosts olive oil exports as lower prices drive demand

European Union olive oil exports are expected to reach 794,000 tons in the 2025/26 season, up 6% from the previous year. According to the European Commission, lower prices are the main factor supporting stronger global demand and higher export volumes.

Spain produces 1.3M tons of olive oil as prices fall

Significant production gains in Catalonia, Aragón and Valencia partially offset a sharp decline in Andalusia, bringing Spain’s final olive oil output to 1.3 million tons.

Olive cultivation rebounds slightly in Greece, but long-term decline persists

New data from Greece's statistical authority show land dedicated to olive groves edged up in 2024, snapping a decade of decline even as farmers warn of an aging workforce and a stalled sector.

'The crazy Englishman’ making olive oil

A farmer in eastern England has produced the country's first bottles of olive oil – with new crops reflecting a changing climate in the UK.

The benefits of extra virgin olive oil on the gut microbiome and consequently on cognitive health

EVO oil helps prevent cognitive decline thanks to the action of beneficial gut bacteria: what the latest research says

Black and green olives offer sim­ilar nutri­tional bene­fits

Whether they’re tucked into a Greek salad, layered onto sand­wiches, arranged on char­cu­terie boards, scattered over pizza or mixed into sum­mer pasta salad, olives are a staple in count­less cuisines. People have been eat­ing them for thou­sands of years, and they’re more pop­u­lar than ever today thanks to their rich fla­vor, ver­sat­il­ity, access­ib­il­ity and asso­ci­ation with healthy eat­ing pat­terns such as the Medi­ter­ranean diet.

Fewer know, however, what sets black olives and green olives apart.

Calendar 2026

10 August

Entries open, WA Olive Awards

www.oliveswa.com.au

21 August

Entries close, 2026 Australian International Olive Awards

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au

28 August

Awards presentation dinner, 2026 Royal Adelaide Olive Awards - hosted by Olives South Australia

Details to come


3 September

Entries close, WA Olive Awards

www.oliveswa.com.au

8 October

Awards ceremony, WA Olive Awards

www.oliveswa.com.au

Email Laura to have your event included.

Send us YOUR news!

Friday Olive Extracts brings the latest industry news and events direct to your inbox each week.

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For Friday Olive Extracts editorial and advertising enquiries, email Laura at comms@australianolives.com.au