FT column reignites olive oil rivalry: is Spanish oil superior?

A Financial Times opinion piece published this week has stirred the perennial debate over Mediterranean olive oil, arguing that Spanish oil is far superior to Italian. The column, titled "Sorry, but Spanish olive oil is far superior to Italian," follows years of shifting dynamics in the global olive oil market, where Spain has long been the largest producer.

For Puglia, the claim lands on fertile ground. The region is one of Italy's principal olive-growing areas, and its groves have been battered in recent years by Xylella, a bacterial disease that has devastated trees across the Salento peninsula. The FT column does not mention Puglia, but the region's struggle to maintain quality and quantity in the face of disease and climate stress frames the broader Italian response.