By Lisa Radinovsky from Greek Liquid Gold.
At the Food Expo in Athens, conversations about Greek olive oil in 2026 reflected both optimism and unease. Despite deep concern about the global situation, the Expo fostered productive connections among new and established Greek and foreign businesses. Greek olive oil stood out throughout the event, echoing its central role in the traditional Greek diet.
Nearly 40,000 visitors from 80 countries joined 1300 exhibitors at the Food Expo from March 14 to 16. Identifying this Expo as “the leading Food & Beverage exhibition in Southeastern Europe,” the Expo team listed “exceptional olive oils” first in their paragraph about the “endless palette of products” enabling buyers to discover “a true treasure” there.
Continuing communication despite tariffs and war
As the war in the Middle East continued, bringing severe humanitarian consequences and widespread disruption to air travel and to fuel and fertilizer supply chains, some buyers were forced to cancel plans to attend the Food Expo, while others faced significant uncertainty.
Katerina Bougatsou (Stalia) mentioned that the war led to the cancellation of her meetings with businesspeople from Dubai, India, and those traveling through Dubai. Earlier, her company had planned to export olive oil to the USA, but tariffs led them to switch their focus to Asia after the autumn harvest. Also looking toward Asian markets, Kostas Kydonakis (Oleum Crete) believes the olive oil market is growing in spite of global conflicts, as “Asian countries not affected by global changes so much are consuming Western products such as olive oil.”
Maria Foule (Filema) acknowledged that “we’re facing problems because there is uncertainty. We hope for humanity, not only business, that everything ends well very soon. We want some steady times and peace.” However, she added that even now “people are still doing their business, because they need to move forward. They move day by day. They’re against all these ugly things that are happening around the world. But there are open windows to continue communication with people and companies. We are trying to do our best.”
Considering years of challenges faced by Greeks since the country’s financial crisis (2008-2018), Ioanna Diamanti (Pellas Nature) also tried to look on the bright side. “We have all these changes—wars, taxes—and it’s not easy.” Even so, she believes Greeks “have become stronger” and can overcome the difficulties they face.
Overcoming a challenging harvest for Greek olive oil in 2026
Most of the olive oil company representatives who talked with Greek Liquid Gold about Greek olive oil in 2026 agreed that it is a difficult year for the Greek olive oil sector overall, given the weather and related problems with pests and diseases. George Triantafyllidis (Belia) believes olive oil production “is getting more difficult every year because of climate change. Every year, the trees are affected by the weather—too much heat, water, or drought.” As Thalia Papadopoulou (Taste Earth) pointed out, “groves are like an open shop, with no roof.”However, many offered a more optimistic view. They mentioned that certain areas did not suffer from climatic extremes this crop year, an early harvest could sometimes avert serious problems, and careful adaptation and selection could enable the production of excellent extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), albeit in smaller quantities than better years.
Conversations and connections, new and old, from Greece and abroad
As usual, the Food Expo was a lively space for connections and conversations. Both new and established businesspeople engaged with each other, continuing productive partnerships and planning new collaborations.
One buyer, Andreas Beschorner, imports olive oil from small family businesses in Crete to sell online and at a shop at his Kreta Natuerlich warehouse in Germany. They do tastings at the shop every Friday. “People take the spoon out of their mouth and open their eyes and say ‘this is the taste of an olive oil?’” As Beschorner explained to Greek Liquid Gold, “they understand the difference between what they expected of olive oil and what a real one is.” This means a lot to them, “because this is nutrition, and olive oil has a certain magic behind it.”That magic is worth much more when it isn’t mixed into an anonymous blend, as growing numbers of educated young Greeks realize. For example, Terra Mycenae is run by two sisters who have decided that their family’s extra virgin olive oil should be given its own branded identity and greater added value, rather than being sold in bulk to Italian traders. Already awarded in their first year, agronomist Georgia Trikka works with her sister Maria in their second year of bottling and marketing their Koroneiki variety olive oil, “to add value to our father’s effort.”
The diversity of Greek olive oil in 2026: Moving beyond Koroneiki
As Pellas Nature’s Ioanna Diamanti comments, approximately 70% of Greek olive oil is made from Koroneiki olives, because they can yield excellent extra virgin olive oil. “But Greeks have started to be interested in showing what they can do” with different olive varieties as well.George Dimas (Energaea) points out that there are 130 different olive varieties in Greece, but only 32 are used for commercial olive oil. His team works with several olive varieties, selling monovarietal Koroneiki, Manaki, and Athinolia EVOOs, as well as their own blends. For example, Harma Blends of Attica, a very pleasant mild, balanced extra virgin olive oil, combines Megaritiki olive oil with Klonara, Manaki, and Koroneiki oils.
Anopaea works with Manaki olives, Two Olives has introduced a Koutsouroelia EVOO, Poeima offers a PGI Prevezana EVOO, The Governor has reclaimed the reputation of Lianolia Corfu extra virgin olive oil, and Poteus began last year to bottle Petroelia olive oil, using a variety only found in Serres in northern Greece.Another new company that just opened their own mill and started bottling this harvest season, Ygeia Elaion, told Greek Liquid Gold about their high-altitude groves near Preveza.
They own a total of 20,000 trees which they use to make monovarietal EVOOs and table olives that highlight several varieties: Asproelia, Mavroelia, Atsikolo, Koroneiki, Galatistas, and Timiou Prodromou.
Greek olive oil in 2026, and looking toward the future
The future of olive oil in Greece appears to be both tied to the past—as some bottle designs remind us—and linked to changes. Apostolos Karoumpis (Aegis Estate) says his “favorite thing about olive oil” is his love for growing trees—”trees 500 years old and still giving yield—for me it’s fantastic, and I want to preserve this.”As ancient groves are preserved—for the good of both human and planetary health—changes are also afoot.
Innovations on display at the Food Expo included an olive oil bar, a prickly pear-curry olive spread, an olive oil-hazelnut spread, high-phenolic olive leaf teas and supplements, little 15-30 ml recyclable olive oil packets, and mocktails with olive oil infused with star anise.
The way people shop has also evolved. Ioanna Diamanti points out, for example, that “Amazon is a whole new channel of sales, different work than we are used to, but it works at the end of the day.” She recommends it. Diamanti believes “you have to be openminded. You have to use new tools and be well informed about the latest technology, and find solutions.”Spyros Dafnis (The Governor) called for positive action and renewal. “The stage is changing, and it needs new actors. We want an entirely new mentality which is going to bring a new kind of people to all stages of production. We need investments to present olive oil not only as a product of the past, but as a product with a bright future. We are proud of the past; our roots grow very strong. But the best is in the future.”While the Food Expo featured a multitude of voices and views about Greek olive oil in 2026, messages of energy and optimism were particularly encouraging in this challenging time.
*Originally published on Greek Liquid Gold: Authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (greekliquidgold.com). See that site for recipes with olive oil, photos from Greece, agrotourism and food tourism suggestions, and olive oil news and information.
