EVO oil producers, global markets, and new prospects: official presentation today in Bari
With over 4,200 active oil mills, 619,000 olive-growing businesses, and an olive oil production area exceeding 1.04 million hectares, the Italian olive oil industry remains a strategic sector for our country and a benchmark of excellence at an international level. This asset also translates into Italian leadership in Europe in terms of certified quality, with 42 PDO and 8 PGI extra virgin olive oils, expressing territorial identity and added value. In this scenario, Puglia leads the national ranking for production area with 330,800 hectares (31.5%), followed by Calabria (181,094 hectares; 17.3%) and Sicily (143,070 hectares; 13.6%).
It was in this context that a press conference was held this morning in Bari to present the second edition of EVOLIO Expo 2026, the leading B2B trade fair dedicated to extra virgin olive oil, scheduled to take place from Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 January at the Fiera del Levante in Bari, patrocinated by MASAF – the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry. The event is organized by Senaf on behalf of Nuova Fiera del Levante with the support of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Economic Development of the Puglia Region, Pugliapromozione, and the National Association of Oil Cities.
During the three days of the fair, in addition to the presence of 150 exhibitors, 20 associations, organizations, and institutions, and approximately 50 international buyers from the large-scale distribution, retail, and Ho.Re.Ca. sectors from 16 countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia, EVOLIO Expo offers a program of over 100 conferences, talks, and events addressing the main strategic issues in the olive oil sector: from innovation to sustainability, from olive oil tourism to health, to the cultural and gastronomic promotion of extra virgin olive oil.
The event will officially open on Thursday, January 29, at 11:00 a.m. with the inauguration of EVOLIO Expo and the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Over the course of three days, the National Association of Oil Cities and Pugliapromozione will host the main thematic conferences of the event: “Oil is Innovation - Ideas and technologies that change tomorrow,” dedicated to new technologies, scientific research, and the modernization of the supply chain; “Oil is Tourism - Oil Experience - Travel, emotions, and flavors that unite Puglia From landscapes to encounters, itineraries, and stories that transform oil into an experience to be enjoyed,” focusing on the role of oil as a lever for tourist attraction; “Oil is Experience - Oil Tourism in Puglia - creating EXPERIENCES, strengthening COMMUNITIES, enhancing the TERRITORY,” focused on oil tourism as a tool for local development, community strengthening, and rural heritage enhancement; “Oil is Health,” focused on scientific evidence related to the benefits of extra virgin olive oil; and “Oil is Well-being,” dedicated to the use of EVO in spas, natural cosmetics, and new forms of entrepreneurship.
AMAP – Marche Region and the magazine “Olivo e Olio” will also present, throughout the three days of the fair, the exhibition "Single Variety Olive Oils. The paths of Italian olive biodiversity," during which visitors to the fair will be taken on a virtual journey from the south to the islands to discover the rich heritage of Italian olive biodiversity. Native varieties, territories, and single-variety oils will be described, with references to history, culture, traditions, monumental plants, and typical recipes.
Alongside institutional conferences, EVOLIO Expo hosts oil and food workshops, tasting sessions and gastronomic insights, book presentations and the “Ercole Olivario - Selezione Puglia” award ceremony, while the Basilicata Region presents the Olivarum Regional Award. The finest oils from Basilicata at EVOLIO Expo 2026.
The press conference was attended by: Francesco Paolicelli, Councilor for Agriculture and Rural Development of the Puglia Region, Graziamaria Starace, Councilor for Tourism and Promotion of the Puglia Region, Eugenio Di Sciascio, Councilor for Economic Development and Employment for the Puglia Region, Gaetano Frulli, President of Nuova Fiera del Levante, Luciana Di Bisceglie, President of Unioncamere Puglia and the Bari Chamber of Commerce, Cesareo Troia, Deputy Vice President of the National Association of Oil Cities, and Silvia Casaglia, Project Manager of EVOLIO Expo.
“The Puglia Region continues to invest in initiatives that transform agricultural value into economic development and competitiveness. EVOLIO Expo,” said Regional Councilor for Agriculture and Rural Development Francesco Paolicelli, "thus also becomes a place for dialogue on supply chain policies and tools to support businesses and territories at a time of great challenges for the sector. During these days at the Fiera del Levante, while harvesting and milling continue in some areas of Puglia, we aim once again to reaffirm our region's role as a benchmark in the Mediterranean olive-growing landscape. Puglia brings to the table expertise, research, and production capacity, but above all a vision that focuses on quality, sustainability, and innovation. At EVOLIO Expo, we are building the future of the olive sector together with a network of qualified partners, promoting the work of operators and the identity of the territories.”
“Tourism and promotion become valuable when they combine reputation and substance,” emphasized Graziamaria Starace, Regional Councilor for Tourism and Promotion - Puglia has an agricultural wealth that speaks to the world. Promoting this quality means transforming it into experience: recognizable supply chains, active communities, and structured itineraries generate permanence, knowledge, and commercial relationships. In this context, olive oil tourism becomes a concrete policy: it opens oil mills, organizes routes, enhances production knowledge, creates qualified demand, and a new widespread economy. The cultural step forward is clear, and Puglia is already experimenting with system tools and territorial alliances, with dedicated protocols and networks. EVOLIO Expo 2026 is fully in line with the regional strategy: to make quality agri-food a structural component of our tourism and promotional policy.”
"EVOLIO Expo is a strategic exhibition for Puglia and for the entire national olive oil sector. This fair connects us with key players in the sector,“ said Eugenio Di Sciascio, Apulia Regional Councilor for Economic Development and Employment, ”and creates concrete development opportunities for producers. Above all, it promotes one of our most precious assets, extra virgin olive oil, which is recognized worldwide for its excellence. As a region, we strongly support this fair with the aim of promoting direct contact between companies and qualified buyers from Italy, Europe, and non-EU countries, strengthening the presence of our companies on international markets and consolidating existing commercial relationships. EVOLIO Expo is a place for business, training, and promotion, capable of enhancing the quality, innovation, and culture of EVO oil, confirming Puglia as the leading region in a sector that is fundamental to the country's economy and agri-food identity."
“EVOLIO Expo is a B2B trade fair that we strongly wanted, because it was necessary for Puglia to become the meeting point for Italian extra virgin olive oil,” says Gaetano Frulli, President of Nuova Fiera del Levante. "Our region accounts for 50% of national olive oil production and can count on a competent supply chain with consolidated capabilities and deep roots. Although the event was conceived as a biennial, thanks to the support of Senaf, the Puglia Region, and numerous professionals in the sector, we are now presenting its second edition. At Fiera del Levante, we will welcome over 150 exhibitors, Italian operators in the sector, and over 50 international buyers. We will present innovations in the supply chain, host technical tastings, training sessions, and meetings dedicated to Mediterranean markets, for a total of over 100 conferences, thus continuing to attract the attention of the Italian market. This new edition will further strengthen Puglia's role as the capital of quality extra virgin olive oil."
"Puglia”, says Luciana Di Bisceglie, president of Unioncamere Puglia and the Bari Chamber of Commerce, “is the productive heart of Italian olive growing: over 16,000 companies, more than 700 oil mills, over 20,000 employees, and 111,000 tons of production in 2024. But today we must have the courage to say it clearly: this record alone is not enough. Because too often, large numbers do not correspond to real added value for producers, nor to exports capable of guaranteeing an adequate position on foreign markets. EVOLIO Expo—which is also a strategic piece in the relaunch of the Fiera del Levante, a unique exhibition infrastructure in southern Italy serving the region's production excellence—is not just a showcase, but a concrete opportunity to push for change: business aggregation, greater bargaining power in the supply chain, investment in innovation and certified quality, and a more structured ability to promote Puglia as a recognizable and competitive origin in the world. The challenge, which involves institutions, businesses, and supply chains, is to transform production leadership into market leadership.”
"EVOLIO Expo 2026 represents a great opportunity for the Città dell'Olio and for all the territories that make olive growing an element of their identity, culture, and economy” says Cesareo Troia, Deputy Vice President of the National Association of Città dell'Olio. "We are talking about a prestigious fair, capable of combining quality, innovation, and vision, offering an authoritative space in which to promote a true culture of extra virgin olive oil. It will be an important opportunity to highlight the value of olive oil tourism, the deep connection between oil and health, and the central role of olive oil communities in protecting the olive-growing landscape. Doing so in Puglia, a region that symbolizes Italian oil, the country's main production area, and guardian of extraordinary olive biodiversity, means giving further strength and credibility to an event that celebrates the quality of its oils, the millennial history of olive trees, and the commitment of producers to excellence. EVOLIO Expo looks to the future of the sector by promoting local excellence and strengthening dialogue between producers, institutions, and citizens."
“EVOLIO Expo was founded in 2025 with the aim of creating a reference point for the entire Italian olive oil production chain, capable of going beyond the traditional trade fair format,” says Silvia Casaglia, Project Manager of EVOLIO Expo. “Last year's great success confirmed the value of our vision. Now, with its second edition, EVOLIO Expo is consolidating its position as a structured platform for discussion and business, where producers, international buyers, institutions, associations, and the scientific world can engage in concrete dialogue on the major issues facing the sector: from innovation to internationalization, sustainability, health, olive oil tourism, and the promotion of production identities. Our goal is to continue to accompany companies on their growth path, creating meaningful connections and contributing to the construction of a shared vision for the future of the sector.”
Representatives from agricultural partnerships, trade associations, and producer organizations attended the presentation of EVOLIO Expo.
EVOLIO Expo is supported by:
ADM Customs and Monopolies Agency - DT Puglia, Molise and Basilicata, Pugliapromozione Regional Tourism Agency, AIFO Italian Association of Oil Millers, AMAP - Agency for Innovation in the Agri-Food and Fisheries Sector, Aproli Bari Agricultural Cooperative, Assitol, Association of Oil Millers of Puglia A.F.P., National Association of Oil Cities, Assoproli Soc. Coop. Agr., Chamber of Commerce of Bari, CIHEAM Bari - Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Confagricoltura, Cons. Tutela Olio EVO IGP “Olio di Puglia”, Italia Olivicola Scarl, MASAF, Puglia Region - Department of Agriculture, Rural and Environmental Development, Network of Agricultural Institutes of Puglia, Uci nazionale; UNAPROL Scpa and Unapol Scarl.
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