Premio Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2025-2026: what it means for producers

Key data

Extra virgin olive oil producers awarded in the 2025-2026 campaign have had, since 23 March 2026, an official endorsement from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food that they can translate directly into their commercial and labeling strategy. Orden APA/308/2026, published in the BOE on 2 April 2026, formally grants the Premio Alimentos de España Mejores Aceites de Oliva Virgen Extra for the 2025-2026 campaign.

For the awarded oil mills and producers, this is not merely a symbolic recognition: it is a commercial differentiation tool with institutional backing that can be activated immediately on labels, catalogues, distributor presentations and communication in export markets.

What does this regulation establish?

Orden APA/308/2026 officially formalizes the granting of the Premio Alimentos de España in its category of Mejores Aceites de Oliva Virgen Extra, corresponding to the 2025-2026 campaign. This award is granted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and recognizes productive excellence in the Spanish olive oil sector.

The key elements established by the order are:

• Official quality recognition: The award constitutes an institutional endorsement from the Ministry of Agriculture regarding the excellence of the extra virgin olive oil produced by the recipients during the 2025-2026 campaign.
• Use in labeling and commercial communication: Awarded producers are authorized to use this recognition on their labels and in their commercial communication, both in the domestic market and in international markets.
• Promotion of the Spanish olive oil sector: The award contributes to the projection of the sector at national and international level, providing institutional visibility to the recipients.
• Competitive positioning: The recognition strengthens the position of award recipients against competitors in a market where quality differentiation is a critical factor.

The order does not establish obligations for third parties nor does it amend previous general regulations. Its scope is specific to the producers and oil mills that participated and were awarded in the 2025-2026 campaign call.

Economic and operational impact

The impact of this award is fundamentally commercial and brand positioning in nature. For the awarded oil mills and producers, the value materializes on several levels:

• Differentiation at point of sale: The official Premio Alimentos de España seal on labeling acts as a quality signal verified by the State, which can directly influence the purchasing decision of the end consumer and the professional buyer (distributors, importers, food retail chains).
• Access to export markets: In international markets where Spanish olive oil competes with Italian, Greek or Portuguese production, an official endorsement from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture is a differential sales argument, especially in tenders, contracts with large retail chains or negotiations with foreign importers.
• Institutional visibility: Publication in the BOE and the Ministry's official communication generate media coverage and presence in institutional channels that reinforce brand reputation without advertising investment costs for the award recipient.
• Leverage in commercial negotiations: The recognition can be used as an argument in price or terms negotiations with distributors, as it objectively certifies the quality of the product against alternatives without official distinction.

The order does not establish direct financial amounts, subsidies or aid associated with the award. The value is entirely commercial and reputational.

Who is affected?

• Extra virgin olive oil producers who participated in the Premio Alimentos de España call for the 2025-2026 campaign and were awarded.
• Oil mills with their own EVOO production that entered the award in the 2025-2026 campaign.
• Marketing and commercial managers of the awarded companies, who must activate the use of the seal in labeling and communication materials.
• Export teams of the awarded companies operating in international markets who can leverage the official endorsement in their commercial presentations.

Olive oil sector companies that did not participate in the award or were not awarded are not affected by this order.

Practical example

An Andalusian oil mill that has been awarded in the Premio Alimentos de España EVOO 2025-2026 can, from 23 March 2026, incorporate the official award seal on the labels of its extra virgin olive oil bottles.

In practice, this means that when its commercial director attends an international food trade fair or negotiates with a German or Japanese importer, they can present the product with the explicit backing of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture as a quality endorsement. This argument is particularly relevant in markets where the buyer does not know the brand but does recognize the value of an official certification from a world-leading olive oil producing country.

Likewise, in the domestic market, the oil mill can update its point-of-sale materials, website and distributor catalogues to incorporate the recognition, without the need for any additional formalities beyond the publication of the order itself.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify the award: Confirm that your company or oil mill is listed among the recipients in Orden APA/308/2026, by consulting the full text published in the BOE on 2 April 2026.
2. Activate the use of the seal in labeling: Coordinate with the design and production team to incorporate the official Premio Alimentos de España seal on the labels of EVOO products from the 2025-2026 campaign, respecting the conditions of use established by the Ministry.
3. Update commercial communication materials: Incorporate the recognition in catalogues, sales presentations, corporate website and point-of-sale materials, both for the domestic market and for export.
4. Communicate the award to the commercial network and distributors: Inform distributors, importers and key customers of the award obtained, using the official BOE publication as documentary support.
5. Leverage institutional visibility: Manage communication of the award in specialized olive oil sector media and in owned channels (social media, newsletter, press releases) to maximize the reputational impact of the recognition.

Official source

View full regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-7532