Tracing the story of this best olive oil – 5 years on
This is the first in a series of articles celebrating Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil – 5 years on. These articles will cover:
Summary
- Why we did this in the first place – what we aimed to achieve
- What has been achieved in that time
- What has changed over that time
- Impact of the pandemic
- Ultra processed food awareness and the impacts on health Further researches into – chronic illnesses and the importance of diet
- More scientific researches into extra virgin olive oil and it’s health benefits
- Why Moroccco Gold extra virgin olive oil is even more important than ever
- More about the difference between genuine extra virgin olive oil and processed olive oils
- Morocco Gold’s (now) global reach and delivery capability
- What our customer say – your comments about Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil
- How to make Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil part of your healthy lifestyle choices
- What you can do with it
- Part of the Mediterranean diet – consistently voted the healthiest
- De-bunking ‘myths’ about extra virgin olive oil
- More about Morocco itself
Contents
- Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 5 Years On
- Why Did We Create Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil In The First Place?
- Issues Within The Olive Oil Market
- Moroccan Olive Oil : A Strategic Initiative
- Creating Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- The Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil Mission
- Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil Core Values
Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 5 Years On
Morocco Gold was launched in November 2018. It has now been 5 years since we brought this wonderful, polyphenol rich, extra virgin olive oil to health-conscious food lovers – worldwide. Since our inception, Morocco Gold Olive Oil has garnered a loyal following among culinary enthusiasts and health-conscious individuals alike. Our five-year celebration is more than just a milestone; it’s a testament to the trust and appreciation of our customers who recognize the unparalleled taste and numerous health benefits of this best olive oil. With Morocco Gold, you’re not just choosing an exceptional extra virgin olive oil; you’re choosing a legacy of excellence.
Why Did We Create Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil In The First Place?
Morocco is a country of diverse and stunning landscapes. What is consistent throughout the country, however, is the warm welcome given to travellers where the traditional greeting of ‘Assalamu alaikum’ (literally – ‘peace be with you’), always results in a warm smile.
It also has rich agricultural regions stretching from the northwest to the central regions nestling in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains that have been supplying local markets with fresh produce for generations. Morocco is a ‘Garden of Eden’ on the doorstep of Europe and a wonderful source of traditionally cultivated, natural, healthy produce, rich in nutrients as well as exciting new tastes.
What is less well known is that Morocco has a rich heritage in producing extra virgin olive oil of exceptional quality. Even though olive cultivation has been part of Morocco’s agricultural scene since the Roman era, and Morocco is now the world’s fifth largest producer of olive oil, the quality and compositional peculiarities of Moroccan olive oil have been relatively unknown.
Issues Within The Olive Oil Market
Blight & Drought
From around 2014 onward, unusual weather and a proliferation of insects and bacterial blight devastated the harvest in several of the major European countries. Farmers in Italy suffered so badly from pests and adverse weather that many reported harvests down by 40% to 50%.
Adulteration & Fraud
A number of high-profile prosecutions for fraud, had also reduced consumer confidence in extra virgin olive oil products. Practices including falsely labelling poor quality oils as extra virgin; marketing olive oils from different countries / origins as (for example) ‘Italian’; mixing oils of dubious provenance; using vegetable oils disguised using artificial colouring and additives.
Supermarket Behaviour
At the same time, the CEO of one of the major suppliers of olive oil was quoted as saying – “the olive oil industry’s business model is broken. (We did at the time ask – who broke it then?) Olive oil was perceived as a traffic builder by (supermarket) retailers and, of course, volume is more important than value”. He went on: “even though we are dealing with a unique product, fantastic product, in my opinion, we are confusing the consumers, we are just confusing them – it’s a mess.”
Moroccan Olive Oil: A Strategic Initiative
In 2008, the Moroccan Government introduced a programme, Project Green, to significantly increase the volume and value of Morocco’s olive and olive oil sector through modernising capacity and capability. The aim was to encourage farmers in rural areas to switch to growing olive trees instead of wheat or other crops, creating more jobs and empowering women in agriculture. The aim was to increase olive cultivation to an area of 1,220,000 hectares, while increasing olive production to 2.5 million tons by 2020, an additional 1,000,000 tons.
So, we thought – if the traditional EU producer countries and retailers are struggling to satisfy customers – could Morocco ‘fill the gap?’.
Creating Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
We carried out extensive background research and analysis to determine if creating a new extra virgin olive oil from Morocco was both feasible and do-able. This included searching for over 2 years for a suitable source of high quality extra virgin olive oil, also identifying a source who would be willing to work with ‘outsiders’ to bring a Moroccan olive oil to western markets.
We then carried out a pilot programme to introduce Morocco Gold as a differentiated new brand of extra virgin olive oil, initially into the UK market; establish the key operational elements and test out the end-to-end business processes and logistics; test out the options – routes to customers; detailed planning for growth / volume production.
We then established first volume production and sales; moving beyond the UK market to the USA & other countries.
What we now have is our proven sourcing and delivery platform: world class processes and controls across the source to consumer supply chain to ensure the highest quality extra virgin olive oil production with full traceability.
The Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil Mission
- To help establish Morocco as an undiscovered source of premium quality Extra Virgin olive oil
- Establish Morocco Gold as the leading Moroccan brand Extra Virgin olive oil
- Bring Morocco Gold to health-conscious food lovers – worldwide
- Harness the very latest in online retailing
Morocco Gold’s Core Values
Heritage
The story of Morocco Gold may only be five years old but the tradition of olive oil production in Morocco dates back centuries, and this rich history is woven into every bottle of Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Our olives are grown in the sun-drenched groves of Morocco, where the climate and soil create the perfect conditions for cultivating superior olives. This legacy of craftsmanship is what sets Morocco Gold apart.
Our commitment to honouring this tradition ensures that each bottle captures the unique essence of Moroccan olive oil. From the moment you taste Morocco Gold, you’ll experience the depth of flavour and heritage that only centuries of expertise can provide. Choosing Morocco Gold means choosing an oil that embodies the essence of Moroccan culture and tradition.
Authenticity
Morocco Gold exemplifies natural, sustainable agricultural methods. It combines centuries of local cultivation and harvesting knowledge, with our rigorous traceability and quality assurance procedures to bring what is locally considered a ‘noble food’ to international markets.
Morocco Gold is rigorously tested both in Morocco by ONSSA (L’Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des produits Alimentaires) www.onssa.gov.ma who are responsible for the quality of Moroccan agricultural produce and in the UK by Campden BRI www.campdenbri.co.uk to test each harvest of Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil to guarantee provenance, authenticity and extra virgin quality.
Morocco Gold is fully traceable throughout its production to guarantee provenance, authenticity and extra virgin quality. Uniquely, the results of our annual harvest analysis are printed on each and every bottle of Morocco Gold.
Community
Morocco Gold is leading the way in transforming the Moroccan olive oil sector and setting a new standard for the industry. We work closely with a local co-operative, largely consisting of women. As a country, Morocco’s agricultural sector employs approximately 40% of the nation’s workforce; women comprising nearly half of these employees. Employment in agriculture has been shown to be at least twice as effective in reducing rural poverty as growth in other sectors.
Morocco Gold is proud to support the empowerment of Moroccan women through employment in the agricultural sector.
Supporting Health And Wellness
With Extra Virgin olive oil deemed the original ‘superfood’, Moroccan Gold is a heart-healthy addition to any regular diet and health-conscious lifestyle. Morocco Gold is teeming in polyphenols, the antioxidants that work to neutralize free radicals, thus protecting the body from cellular damage. Extensive research has shown that high quality extra virgin olive oil like Morocco Gold helps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, aids in digestive health, and may even prevent diabetes and lessen the severity of osteoporosis.
