Turkish Olive Oil Sourcing Guide Released by Elixir de Azeitona
Posted August 3, 2026 by Elixir_de_Azeitona
Manisa-based Aegean producer publishes a free B2B reference on Turkish olive oil regions, IOC grades, certifications and FOB pricing as Türkiye targets a record 2026/27 export season.
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The release comes as Türkiye consolidates its position as the world's second-largest olive oil producer and the largest producer outside the European Union, and as the country's exporters prepare for what industry bodies expect to be a strong 2026/27 crop.
Why buyers are looking at Türkiye
Türkiye draws on roughly 180 million olive trees spread across 41 of its 81 provinces. In the record 2024/25 crop year the country produced approximately 505,000 tonnes of olive oil according to International Olive Council figures, alongside 750,000 tonnes of table olives — the largest table olive output in the world.
Export performance has been more volatile than production. Combined olive and olive oil exports were worth USD 763 million in 2023/24 before falling 27 percent to USD 559 million in 2024/25, a decline attributed largely to domestic price controls and earlier export restrictions. The Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters' Association has indicated that a record 2026/27 crop, supported by open export channels, could return the sector to above USD 1 billion.
For importers, the commercial case is straightforward. Turkish extra virgin olive oil typically trades at FOB prices roughly 30 to 40 percent below comparable Italian or Greek origin oils at the same quality tier, while competing directly on sensory quality. At the 2025 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's largest, Turkish producers, bottlers and exporters took 30 awards — 25 Gold and five Silver — from 58 entries, across native cultivars including Ayvalık, Memecik, Gemlik, Domat, Edremit and Trilye.
What the guide covers
The guide is structured for procurement teams rather than consumers, and covers:
Production regions and cultivars — the Aegean, Marmara, Mediterranean and Southeastern Anatolian growing zones, and the flavour profiles of signature varieties including Ayvalık (Edremit), Memecik, Gemlik, Kilis Yağlık and Nizip Yağlık, drawn from Türkiye's roughly 119 registered olive cultivars.
Grades and specifications — how extra virgin, virgin, lampante, refined, blended and pomace oils are defined under International Olive Council standards, including free acidity thresholds and peroxide values, written so buyers can draft accurate purchase specifications.
Certifications — Turkish PDO and PGI designations such as Aydın Memecik Zeytinyağı, alongside the private buyer certifications importers most often require: ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000, BRCGS, IFS Food, EU Organic, USDA NOP, Halal and Kosher.
Price and quality benchmarking against Spanish, Italian and Greek origin oils.
Harvest timing — the October to January Northern Hemisphere harvest, and how early-harvest pressing affects polyphenol content and availability windows from December through March.
Market outlook — organic segment growth, emerging demand in China, Japan and Brazil, and the shift toward verifiable supply-chain traceability.
A producer's view of the market
"Most of the material available to buyers researching Turkish olive oil is either consumer marketing or trade statistics with no context," said Leonor Aydın Ferreira, CEO of Elixir de Azeitona. "We wrote the guide we wished existed when we started exporting — grades explained the way a specification sheet needs them explained, honest price comparisons, and a clear account of why Turkish volumes swing so much from one season to the next. Alternate bearing is not a supply problem to hide from buyers; it is a planning reality they need to build into their contracts."
She added: "Türkiye has spent decades supplying bulk oil that left the country unlabelled. That is changing. Buyers now want to know the grove, the harvest date and the certification status, and they want to verify it rather than take our word for it."
About the producer
Elixir de Azeitona's roots reach back to the 1970s, with the brand established in 1990. The company is based in Manisa, in the Aegean region that produces the majority of Türkiye's olive oil output.
Olives are hand-picked and cold-extracted below 27°C to preserve the volatile aroma compounds and polyphenols that define fresh Aegean extra virgin olive oil. Groves are farmed without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, using crop rotation, composting and managed biodiversity around the planted areas.
Every bottle carries a QR code linked to blockchain grove-to-bottle records, allowing buyers and end consumers to verify origin, harvest date and certification. The company's most popular products are bottled in 100 percent recycled glass, with life-cycle CO₂ fully offset.
Longer-term commitments run to 2030 and include planting 500,000 new olive trees, expanding certified organic groves by 50 percent, and developing circular-economy products that use every part of the olive, including pits and pomace.
Availability
Elixir de Azeitona supplies bulk extra virgin olive oil, private label and own-brand retail formats, and certified organic programmes to importers and distributors internationally. Sourcing enquiries, sample requests and specification discussions can be directed to the export team at https://elixirdeazeitona.com/contact-us/ or by email to [email protected]
The full guide is available at https://elixirdeazeitona.com/the-complete-guide-to-turkish-olive-oil-production-regions-grades-global-trade/ and further company information at https://elixirdeazeitona.com
About Elixir de Azeitona
Elixir de Azeitona® is a family-run premium Turkish olive oil producer, exporter and supplier based in Manisa, Türkiye. Founded on family groves worked since the 1970s and established as a brand in 1990, the company produces cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil using traditional low-temperature methods, blockchain-verified traceability and 100 percent recycled glass packaging. It supplies importers, distributors and private-label partners in international markets.
Media Contact
Elixir de Azeitona Manisa, Türkiye
Email: [email protected]
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| Contact Email | [email protected] |
| Issued By | Elixir de Azeitona |
| Country | Turkey |
| Categories | Business |
| Tags | turkish olive oil |
| Last Updated | August 3, 2026 |