Evo (extra virgin) olive oil is confirmed as a symbol of Italian cuisine and a driver of exports, despite market tensions. At SOL Expo 2026, March 1-3 at Veronafiere, focus on consumption, internationalization and new challenges for the sector. From Nomisma consumer survey to export data and the presence of 80 top foreign buyers, Italian evo oil reinforces its strategic role for Made in Italy.
Extra virgin olive oil is the “bronze” of the Italian table
Evo oil takes third place among the most representative products of Italian cuisine, after pasta and pizza and ahead of wine. This is what emerges from the new Nomisma consumer survey carried out for SOL Expo and previewed in Verona.
According to the survey (2,000 interviews), evo oil is present in 96 percent of shopping carts and is considered a must-have ingredient. One in two respondents indicate it as a symbol of the tricolor table, also a protagonist of the Unesco recognition to Italian Cuisine.
Purchasing is driven mainly byorigin – considered very important by more than half of consumers – with attention to PDO and PGI and growing interest in health properties. Evo oil is perceived as a “natural superfood”: 83 percent of respondents say they are more incentivized to buy it after learning about its health benefits.
There is also growing interest inoleotourism (45 percent of Italians ready to evaluate it) and in the restaurant experience: for 49 percent, information about the producer and pairings influences the choice, while for 34 percent the restaurant experience affects supermarket purchases.
Export: +21% in volume, brakes on values
On the international front, the SOL Expo Observatory (Istat and Nielsen data) shows a multifaceted picture.
Between January and November 2025, Italian evo oil exports exceeded 1.9 billion euros, down 16 percent in value compared to 2024 (a year affected by high average prices), but up 21 percent in volume, with 272 thousand tons exported.
The non-EU market (64% of the total) marks +20.3% in volume and -15.2% in value; the EU +23% in volume and -17% in value. In the top five markets: US, Germany, France, Canada and Japan. South Korea surpasses the UK with triple-digit growth and +53.4% in value.
On the other hand, duties in the U.S. (-26.6 percent in value) and the slowdown in France (-35 percent in value, -2.6 percent in volume) weigh heavily.
Domestic market: prices down, purchases stable
In January 2026, in the Italian large-scale retail trade, overall sales of evo oil mark +1.1% in volume but -16% in value, aided by the drop in average prices (from 8.8 to 7.12 euros/liter). Packages sold dropped by 1.4%.
Italian evo oil, which accounts for one-third of the olive oil market in large-scale distribution, recorded an average price of 10.84 euros/liter compared to 7.12 euros/liter for the EU product. With a 14 percent drop in bottles. Sales value in January stood at 26 million euros, compared to 73 million for EU oil.
On the production front, Italy returns to ordinary levels with 293,908 tons (as of Feb. 18, 2026). Puglia leads with over 151,000 tons. Followed by Calabria (43,000) and Sicily (41,000). Together they account for 80 percent of national production.
SOL Expo 2026: business, culture and internationalization
From March 1-3, 2026, SOL Expo returns to Veronafiere with more than 200 companies from Italy, Slovenia, Spain and Hungary and 15 producing regions in attendance.
The presentation was attended by Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. ITA-Italian Trade Agency President Matteo Zoppas. And International Olive Council Executive Director Jaime Lillo López, among others.
The incoming plan with ITA will bring 80 top buyers from 25 countries to Verona. Including the United States, Japan, China, Germany, France and Saudi Arabia, strengthening the international projection of made-in-Italy evo oil.
Ample space is given to education and culture, with conferences dedicated to market challenges, sustainability and the olive landscape. As well as show cooking, guided tastings and master classes. The Italian Federation of Chefs will present the “Unesco Plate,” celebrating oil as an identifying element of Italian cuisine.
SOL Expo thus confirms itself as a strategic hub for the entire supply chain: a meeting point between production, catering, distribution and foreign markets, at a key moment for the positioning of Italian extra virgin olive oil in the world.
