Europe Leans on Tunisia
When the European cupboard runs bare, the oil has to come from somewhere — and in 2024, more and more of it came from Tunisia, the producer most shoppers have never heard of.
What happened
Short of its own oil, the EU imported heavily in 2024 — over 24,000 tonnes in April alone — and Tunisia was the leading supplier, sending some 16,500 tonnes that month. The North African heavyweight stepped in to fill the gap left by drought-hit Spain and Italy.
Why it matters
It’s a vivid reminder that Tunisia is one of the world’s great producers — and that a lot of it flows quietly into Europe to be blended and bottled, often under European flags. Honest, traceable Tunisian oil is excellent value; the problem is only when its origin is hidden.
This is exactly where the fraud risk lives. With huge volumes of untraced foreign oil flowing into Italy and Spain in a scarcity year, the temptation to relabel it as “Italian” or “Spanish” extra virgin balloons — a concern regulators raised loudly in 2024. The oil itself may be fine; the lie is the origin. Buy traceable, and read how olive oil gets cut.
Source, April 2024: International Olive Council, world market data.