- Title: TUNISIA: Tunisian olive oil production on the increase
- Date: 18th June 2010
- Summary: HAMMAMET, TUNISIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) BANNER AT ENTRANCE TO TUNISIA OLIVE OIL EXPO CLOSE UP OF BANNER VISITORS AT STANDS INSIDE EXPO OLIVE OIL FLOWING OUT OF PIPE ON EXHIBITION STAND CLOSE UP OF OLIVE OIL FLOWING OUT OF PIPE VARIOUS OF FAWZIA BOULILA SHOWING PRODUCTS TO FRENCH WOMAN VISITING EXPO CLOSE UP OF WOMAN APPLYING OIL TO FACE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FAWZIA BO
- Embargoed: 3rd July 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Tunisia
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Industry,Lifestyle
- Reuters ID: LVAD7VFGG0HR55RF300PWW6YJL5F
- Story Text: Tunisian production of olive oil is on the rise. However, most of this so far has been destined for culinary use whether in the North African country or exported elsewhere in the world. Now there is a new market emerging for the oil that will see it increasingly used for cosmetic purposes.
For centuries, olive oil has been cited for its vast array of heath benefits. Up until recently in Tunisia, the oil was mostly used for cooking. However, the scene is changing and sales of olive oil used for cosmetic purposes are increasing.
In light of this trend, Tunisia held its first ever International Olive Oil Expo this month to showcase its products. All the main producers attended, with merchandise ranging from specialities in organic oils to the more conventional varieties. But the least well-known exhibitors in the largely culinary expo were those displaying olive oil products created for use on the skin.
The expo provided an opportunity to sample and buy products not normally available in the mainstream market. Cosmetic olive oil producer Fawzia Boulila says the concept of using oils for the skin sits nicely with the current popularity of natural and organic products in the cosmetics market, a movement that is dominating cosmetic sales worldwide.
"As far as the Tunisian market goes and possibly foreign markets, olive oil is taking its own place in cosmetics and in paramedical products. And this true for foreign countries as much as for Tunisia," she added.
The Tunisian countryside is dotted with millions of olive trees, with each area being known for its own special variety. There is huge demand for the oil which is sold in bulk worldwide without most consumers being aware of its provenance.
However, to date, no statistics have been collected on the amount of oil being sold for cosmetic purposes in Tunisia. It is still an emerging market in which research is continuing.
In Indonesia, with its bustling population of 250 million, olive oil is used in nearly all of its special Ramadan dishes. The oil is currently being heavily advertised in a new olive oil marketing campaign in Indonesia.
Emawati Setiady, an Indonesian exporter of olive oil, says the middle classes in her country are tuned into the benefits of using cosmetics with an olive oil element.
"Indonesian people are starting to become aware of olive oil as a beauty product. It can also have medical properties in soap form. The middle and upper middle classes in Indonesia appreciate this and we're looking for Tunisian olive oil to import for this purpose and further improve relations between our countries," she said.
Tunisia has around 56 million olive groves, mainly in the central region of the country, generating close to 745 thousand tonnes of olives every year.
The area around Monastir city is typical of many other olive groves in the region. Acres of trees stretch into the horizon varying in age from hundreds of years old to a mere six months.
Production this season is good, say the local farmers, and they are keen to diversify into other markets.
Fredj Ben Amor states that some of his olive oil is now being used for cosmetic purposes.
But as it brings in higher returns, he is willing to step up production geared specifically towards this purpose.
"I have two thousand olive trees which produce 15 tonnes of olive oil annually that is 100 percent organic. About 1.5 per cent of this oilup being used in cosmetics. Each year there is increasing demand from Europe and the US for cosmetic oil and we are ready to increase our output to match demand," he said.
One of the more attractive aspects of the cosmetic olive oil market in Tunisia is that it is made on a small scale and entirely by hand. The entrepreneurs pride themselves on the purity of their product and do not want to lose the personal touch lost in large scale production methods. Such is the attention to detail that these products have created a new brand of cosmetic preparation: the para-medical pharmaceutical brand.
As Fathey Boulila, a producer of cosmetic olive oil products explains, the supreme quality gives the oil medicinal powers and so their properties are more than just cosmetic.
"I prefer to use the term para-medical pharmaceuticals since our products are neither cosmetic nor pharmaceutical. They derive from our traditions. They are hand made and authentic. What we have done so far is based on the medicinal guidance given by the Prophet," he said.
Boulila says his recipes have been handed down through the generations and his products follow religious guidelines on how best to make use of the oil's properties.
So far, the majority of the new cosmetic oil preparations are being used for therapeutic massages. But with the Tunisian government closely watching the growth in sales of olive oil based hand creams, hair conditioners and facial moisturisers in the United States and Europe, there are clear signs that olive oil promotion will no longer be limited to culinary purposes alone. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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