Why Is Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil The Sustainable Choice?

New Survey Says 55 Percent Of Consumers Prefer Sustainable Food

^{Updated 21st September 2024}

Why The Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is A Sustainable Food Choice

In recent years, the term “sustainability” has become increasingly popular in the food industry. As consumers are becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment and their own health, they are seeking out options that align with these values.

When it comes to cooking oils, one option stands out above the rest – extra virgin olive oil from a single source. Not only is this type of olive oil known for its exceptional taste and health benefits, but it is also considered a sustainable choice. In this blog post, we will explore why choosing the best single source extra virgin olive oil is not only a delicious choice for health-conscious food lovers but also an environmentally responsible one.

Morocco Gold is a single source, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil with a wealth of health benefits and flavour.

According to the study from Cargill, consumers are increasingly conscious of the sustainability claims of food manufacturers when making their purchases. Reporting that 55% of shoppers are more likely to buy a specific item if it comes with a claim of sustainability.  

At Morocco Gold, we set the gold standard for natural, sustainable agricultural methods.  We plant new olive trees every year, ensuring high quality extra virgin olive oil will be produced in this valley for centuries to come.   

According to the new survey, consumers were most drawn to claims of products being ‘sustainably sourced’ and ‘conservation of natural resources’.  Cargill said that labels such as ‘Fair Trade’ or ‘reduced packaging’ were given less weight in the purchasing decision. 

“Our latest findings clearly demonstrate that messages surrounding sustainability are having an impact on consumers,” said Nese Tagma, managing director of strategy and innovation for Cargill’s global edible oils business. 

Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The Best Of Local Tradition To A Worldwide Audience

We at Morocco Gold are so proud of our high-quality extra virgin olive oil, packed with antioxidant polyphenol goodness, that it could be easy to forget the people and the culture that makes it truly special.

But we do not. In fact, we want to shout it from the rooftops because we are so proud to immerse ourselves in a centuries’ old tradition of olive cultivation that delivers the finest possible product for our customers.  So, what are the key elements that make Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil so unique?

The Morocco Gold Story Is About Harnessing Traditions And Collaboration

Morocco has been producing high quality olive oil since the time of the Romans and this ‘liquid gold’ has long been considered a noble food by the local population. Firmly rooted in Morocco’s traditions and culture, the existence of centenary trees, in some cases over 800 years old, together with traditional presses (maasras) testify to the centuries of olive cultivation. The benign climate makes Morocco a ‘Garden of Eden’ on the doorstep of Europe and the ideal location for olive cultivation with mild winters and warm, dry summers. The soils in the main olive-growing regions are rich and deep, and generally have an equal balance of clay and coarse sands.

Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil comes from groves in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The specific soil conditions of the Beni Mellal region, together with the mild winters and summers, caressed by hot winds from the Sahara, make ideal growing conditions for Morocco Gold olives. Nurtured with love for generations, using only traditional, natural methods, Morocco Gold retains its distinctive flavour to offer the finest sensory experience.

Originally established in 2018, Morocco Gold is a unique Scottish Moroccan business partnership that brings an ultra-premium extra virgin olive oil from an amazing new source to health conscious, discerning food lovers worldwide. Morocco Gold exemplifies the Scottish African Business Association (SABA) goals of bringing together African and Scottish based businesses to create and execute opportunities in an ever more competitive and challenging world.  We believe that Morocco is a land of opportunity and have found the people so helpful and eager to work with us.

A Commitment To Sustainability From The World’s Finest Extra Virgin Olive Oil

We at Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil are passionately committed to strengthening a sustainable UK-Morocco Business partnership.  We recently became members of the Scottish African Business Association (SABA) to learn more about the tremendous business opportunities opening up between Scotland and Africa.

Morocco Gold exemplifies natural, sustainable agricultural methods.  With new olive trees planted annually, this remarkable valley will be producing high quality extra virgin olive oil for centuries to come.  This extensive tree planting is also good for the environment and sustainable in the long term.

Why Choosing Food Like Extra Virgin Olive Oil Can Have Environmental Impact

A recent study by researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Minnesota demonstrated that foods which are considered to be healthy, such as whole-grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and olive oil, also have the lowest environmental impact. The researchers found that “while there is substantial variation in the health outcomes of different foods, foods associated with a larger reduction in disease risk for one health outcome are often associated with larger reductions in disease risk for other health outcomes. Likewise, foods with lower impacts on one metric of environmental harm tend to have lower impacts on others”.

Additionally, of the foods associated with improved health (whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and fish), all except fish have among the lowest environmental impacts.

This extensive research by Michael A Clark, Marco Springmann, Jason Hill, and  David Tilman, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that eating healthier also means eating more sustainably and reveals a clear link between healthy food and environmental sustainability.

Food choices are shifting globally in ways that are negatively affecting both human health and the environment. Here the researchers considered how consuming an additional serving per day of each of 15 foods key food groups is associated with 5 health outcomes in adults and 5 aspects of agriculturally driven environmental degradation.

The researchers found that “while there is substantial variation in the health outcomes of different foods, foods associated with a larger reduction in disease risk for one health outcome are often associated with larger reductions in disease risk for other health outcomes. Likewise, foods with lower impacts on one metric of environmental harm tend to have lower impacts on others”.

“Additionally, of the foods associated with improved health (whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and fish), all except fish have among the lowest environmental impacts, and fish has markedly lower impacts than red meats and processed meats. Foods associated with the largest negative environmental impacts—unprocessed and processed red meat—are consistently associated with the largest increases in disease risk.

Thus, dietary transitions toward greater consumption of healthier foods would generally improve environmental sustainability, although processed foods high in sugars harm health but can have relatively low environmental impacts. These findings could help consumers, policy makers, and food companies to better understand the multiple health and environmental implications of food choices”.

As part of the study, the researchers examined the impact of consuming an additional serving per day of fifteen specific foods on five “health outcomes” in adults that are brought on by poor diets and account for nearly 40 percent of global mortality, specifically: mortality, type two diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, and colorectal cancer.

At the same time, the effects on five “aspects of agriculturally driven environmental degradation” were studied including greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, acidification and eutrophication (the last two are forms of nutrient pollution).

The foods included chicken, dairy, eggs, fish, fruits, legumes, nuts, olive oil, potatoes, processed red meat, refined grain cereals, sugar-sweetened beverages, unprocessed red meat, vegetables, and whole-grain cereals.

By comparing the five health and five environmental impacts of each food, the researchers determined that foods with the lowest environmental impacts often have the largest health benefits. Foods such as whole-grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and fish had the most positive impact on health while also having the lowest environmental impact (with the exception of fish).

Conversely, the foods with the largest environmental impacts, such as unprocessed and processed red meat were also associated with the highest risk of disease. Minimally processed, health-boosting plant foods and olive oil were found to have a low environmental impact, but so did processed foods high in sugar that are harmful to health, such as sugar-sweetened beverages.

Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil As Fat Substitute Can Make A Difference

Morocco Gold is a natural, unfiltered, ultra premium, polyphenol rich extra virgin olive oil. It’s exquisite taste and health enhancing qualities are guaranteed by our rigorous testing, provenance and authenticity, and strict adherence to single sourcing, with no blending or mixing.

As consumers in the UK and other markets are showing greater interest in healthy eating, lifestyles and wider wellbeing, provenance authenticity and high quality have become paramount. The exceptionally high quality of Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil is the result of care and attention to detail throughout the entire production process.

The specific soil conditions of the Beni Mellal region, together with the mild winters and summers, caressed by hot winds from the Sahara, make ideal growing conditions for Morocco Gold olives. The existence of centenary trees and traditional presses (maasras) testify to the longevity of olive cultivation in this area.

Morocco Gold Supports Women In Agriculture

Morocco Gold is produced by a cooperative which actively encourages women into agriculture. 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 poverty as growth in other sectors. It is known to reduce poverty directly by raising farm incomes, generating employment and reducing food prices.

Morocco Gold is proud to support the empowerment of Moroccan women through employment in the agricultural sector.

The Environment Has The Final Say In All We Do At Morocco Gold

Care of the environment is at the heart of the farming methods used to produce Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil. Even the left-over paste after pressing is turned into briquettes for domestic fuel in rural areas. This reduces cutting down trees for firewood and so prevents soil erosion.

Sustainability and care for the environment is then carried forward into our carefully designed bottle and packaging designs which are fully recyclable with no waste.

We are delighted to bring this ethically sourced and environmentally friendly, delicious tasting ‘superfood’ from this amazing new undiscovered source, which is why we believe that handpicked harvesting is the right way to extract our olives. Our extra virgin olive oil is high in antioxidants and polyphenols which continues to progressively increase with each harvest.

We are delighted to say that the 2021 Harvest of Morocco Gold contains the highest numbers of polyphenols yet seen in our extra virgin olive oil. This makes our olive oil sustainable and good for the environment.