The pioneering endeavor that once seemed impossible: Brazilian extra virgin olive oil gains prestige

In Catalonia, olive oil is not merely food: it is a landscape, a culture, and a way of life. In any gourmet shop, it is easy to find bottles or small tins of Siurana, Garrigues, or Ventalló oil at often exorbitant prices: half a liter can cost between 16 and 20 euros, and up to 230 euros in the most luxurious editions, such as the Oldfargus 2000 oil from Maestrat, made from the olives of ancient olive trees. It is a tradition consolidated over centuries and is part of the Mediterranean identity.

More than 8,000 kilometers from Terres de Ponent, Empordà, or Valencia, in southern Brazil, a group of small producers is trying to write their own olive oil history. They do not have centuries of experience — at most two decades — but their commitment to sustainable pollination techniques and regenerative agriculture is bearing surprising fruit. What once seemed impossible — producing high-quality extra virgin olive oil in a tropical country — is today a reality recognized by the experts of the International Olive Council, an entity that represents 95% of global production. Brazil is not yet a member, but the quality of its oils is already admired and has begun to win awards in international competitions.

Nevertheless, the challenge is not so much conquering the global market — dominated by giants such as Spain, Italy, and Greece — as educating a population for whom olive oil is not part of their culinary heritage. Flávio Opino Filho, president of the Brazilian Institute of Olive Cultivation (Ibraoliva), tells ARA: "Everything the Mediterranean doesn't want, we buy, and it is often classified as extra virgin when it is not." He adds that the country's 550 producers — who produce nearly one million liters per year — work "under extremely difficult conditions." "In supermarkets, we have very poor-quality oils that have to compete with our oils, which are wonderful and have won numerous awards." Price is another factor: what comes from Europe is much cheaper than the local oil.

From left to right, Rafael Sittoni Golzer; Lucídio Mörsch Golzer; Abderraouf Laajimi, Deputy Executive Director of the International Olive Council (IOC); and André Sittoni Golzer present one of the certificates awarded to Estância das Oliveiras oil, in a photo taken in early October of that year. One of the most inspiring projects is that of Lucídio Mörsch Golzer, founder of Estância das Oliveiras in Viamão, half an hour from Porto Alegre. Fourteen years ago, after seven trials and study trips, he obtained his first oil: twenty kilograms of olives and just under two liters of oil. André, one of his three sons who is also responsible for the business alongside his brothers, recalls: "We used to joke in the family that this was the most expensive extra virgin olive oil in the world. My father cared about every drop."

The joke, today, is no longer a joke. With nine different varieties and 28 hectares of cultivated land, the family produces one of the five most award-winning oils in the world. "Small quantities — 6,300 liters in 2025, and 12,000 liters planned for 2026, if the weather is good — but of high quality. A liter costs around 100 euros, and we sell everything we produce," explains Rafael Sittoni Golzer. "As for restaurants, you will only find our oil in Michelin-starred establishments." Like any innovative venture, making oil in Brazil required time and numerous training trips. The Golzer family planted 36 varieties of olive trees to find out which ones adapt best to the soil and climate of Rio Grande do Sul — Arbequina, Koroneiki, Coratina, Picual, Frantoio, Ascolana, Arbosana, Grappolo, and Leccino — where today more than half of the producers and 6,200 of the country's 10,000 hectares of olive groves are concentrated (to give you an idea, there are 114,000 hectares in Catalonia and 2.66 million hectares in the rest of Spain). As a brand, Estância oil has only been marketed since 2019, with a first harvest of 1,400 liters.

Lacking a tradition, Brazil's small olive growers chose innovation. At Estância das Oliveiras, for example, they managed to increase productivity through natural pollination. In Catalonia, this process relies mainly on the wind and the proximity of compatible varieties such as Arbequina and Argudell. But in Rio Grande do Sul, the high temperatures, humidity, and unstable winds make it difficult. André Sittoni Golzer explains: "Pollination had to find new players." What kind of players? Native stingless bees, such as the "jataí" and the "mandaçaia," capable of increasing olive grove production by up to 30%. In some areas of the estate, the family keeps beehives to facilitate the process. These are species adapted to the tropical climate, able to fly in high humidity and enter the tiny flowers with a precision that the wind cannot guarantee. Thus, Latin America's local biodiversity is placed in the service of a crop that for centuries was the exclusive domain of the Mediterranean region. From here arises a paradox: in a country with no olive-growing tradition, the Brazilian pioneers have begun to show that quality — not history — may be the key to the future of olive oil. But the battle to conquer the local market is a long one, and it is the battle they are now forced to fight.

Source: ara