Sustainable Production and Branding of Ayvalik Olive Oil Discussed

November 3, 2026 · GıdaTarım

Industry stakeholders gathered at the Ayvalik Olive Harvest and Tourism Festival to address branding, sustainable production, and the preservation of cultural heritage in olive oil.

Sustainability and International Market in Olive Oil

The future of the olive and olive oil sector was discussed within the scope of the 21st International 22nd Ayvalik Olive Harvest and Tourism Festival held in Ayvalik. At the panel held in Kırlangıç Historical Soap Factory Hall, moderated by Bilge Keykubat, Mehmet Çavlı, Deniz Sabuncugil, Halil Sucu, and Mustafa Kürlek shared their views. The session particularly focused on sustainable agricultural production methods, the preservation of local product quality, and the importance of branding. Participants thoroughly evaluated the critical role that preserving and strengthening the qualities of Ayvalik olive oil and achieving an effective position in international markets play in sectoral growth.

Cultural Heritage of the Olive and Museology

The festival's cultural events program addressed the olive's thousands of years of agricultural history and its deep-rooted place in human life. In the conversation attended by Zeynep Bilgehan and Prof. Dr. Artun Ünsal, the place of the olive tree in cultural heritage and the life practices shaped by the olive were discussed. Afterwards, journalist-writer Nedim Atilla and Köstem Olive Oil Museum Founder Dr. Levent Köstem came together. In this session, the preservation of the historical value of the olive, the transmission of olive oil culture to future generations, and the role of museology in rural development were examined with wide participation.

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