by Stefano Caroli
President of the Puglia Olive Oil Mills Association
EVOLIO Expo 2026 The event concludes with an extremely positive outcome for the millers and for the entire olive oil production chain. As President, on behalf of AFP – the Puglia Millers Association – I can affirm that this edition represented a decisive step in the recognition of the strategic role of the mill and the professionalism that works there.
EVOLIO Expo has confirmed its status as a place for concrete discussion and vision for the sector, capable of valorizing the work of millers and bringing quality back to the forefront as the result of technical expertise, informed production choices, and professional responsibility.
A particularly notable moment was the call to the Golden Master Award, which does not only celebrate the excellence of extra virgin olive oils, but above all the figure of the master oil maker, a professional who combines in-depth knowledge of the cultivars, mastery of processing technologies and the ability to interpret the territory through the milling process.
I would like to thank the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry for his presence and for the attention given to the olive oil sector, as well as all the speakers and participants in the conferences organised by AFP and AIFO, who enlivened EVOLIO Expo 2026 with high-profile technical, regulatory and strategic contributions.
A heartfelt thank you goes to all the millers, companies, buyers, operators, and visitors who contributed to the event's success, demonstrating how the sector is ready to strengthen a supply chain vision based on professionalism, expertise, and human values.
During EVOLIO Expo 2026 it raised a the proposal of a category of "artisanal" extra virgin olive oil, which AFP supports with conviction, has attracted strong interestIt is essential to clarify that all extra virgin olive oils are born in the mill, but artisanal extra virgin olive oil It is born from the hands of the master oil maker, a registered professional, trained to practice this profession and recognized by law.
The distinctive element is not the analytical parameter, but the figure of the master oil maker, which transfers the value of man, his skills, his knowledge of local cultivars and transformation technologies to the product, guaranteeing the supply chain with his own person.
From this perspective, even oils from farms are considered artisanal extra virgin olive oils if the olives are pressed in a mill operated by a registered master olive oil maker. This professional can be identified on the label by his registration number, offering consumers a clear guarantee of competence, responsibility, and transparency.
Il The role of the oil master is also central in defining the differentiating elements of the DOP and IGP products.It is in the mill that varietal, territorial, and agronomic characteristics find a coherent synthesis through process choices: milling times, extraction techniques, temperature management, and the interpretation of local specificities. Without the expertise of the master olive oil maker, appellations risk being reduced to a formal geographical origin, losing their true sensorial and cultural identity.
EVOLIO Expo 2026 has demonstrated that the sector is ready for this cultural leap: recognize that the quality of Italian extra virgin olive oil, as well as the value of PDO and PGI certifications, depends on the mill and the skills of those who manage it on a daily basis.
AFP will continue to work to ensure that the role of the olive oil master is increasingly central, recognized, and valued, because this is where the true value of Italian extra virgin olive oil comes from.
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