Quality designations

The subject of analysis during table olive week in the province

The Casa de la Provincia hosted the technical conference 'Quality designations as a strategy for the protection, promotion and marketing of agri-food products.

The Table Olive of the Province of Seville'. This has been organised by Prodetur-Turismo de la Provincia. It is an activity included in the programme of activities of the Seville Tourism Promotion Week. Table olives from Seville. They will run until next Sunday, 30 October.

Around one hundred olive growers, as well as professionals and other companies from the sector attended this technical conference. It has had the collaboration of entities and associations such as Asaja, APAS (Association for the Promotion of Sevillian Olives of the Manzanilla and Gordal varieties); COAG, UPA; the Foundation for the Development and Promotion of Table Olives. Cooperativas Agroalimentarias Andalucía-Sevilla and Opracol - Seville.

The following presentations were given:

•  Community protection of protected geographical designations in the agri-food sector. Lights and shadows'. Given by Ángel Martínez, Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Jaén.
•  Quality designations in the marketing strategies of agri-food products'. By Manuel Parras, Professor of Marketing and Market Research at the University of Jaén.

As well as practical experiences presented by representatives of the regulatory councils of the 'Jerez-Xeres-Sherry' and 'Baena' designations of origin. The programme of this session was made up of the following.

What were the conclusions?

During the closing ceremony of the conference, the deputy for the Area of Coordination, José Barroso, stressed the importance of providing agri-food products with "intangible attributes" such as quality. "The quality designations give personality and their own accent to the product they endorse. They are, in short, an excellent letter of introduction", indicated Barroso, who, in relation to the application for a PGI for the gordal and manzanilla olive varieties, expressed his hope that "despite the discrepancies raised in this respect within the sector, a consensus will be reached that will benefit the entire table olive industry in Seville".