In Spain, the far -right party Vox does not hide its dissatisfaction with the political choices of the Andalusian regional government, which he accuses of sacrificing local agriculture for the benefit of Tunisia and other foreign interests.
Manuel GAVIRA, spokesperson for VOX in the Andalusian Parliament, underlined an inconsistency that he deems blatant: “We tear our olive trees from Andalusia while Spain becomes the largest oil buyer in Tunisia”, reports Voxespana.es.
Tunisia, now the fourth world producer of olive oil, is experiencing impressive growth in its exports. In the first quarter of 2025, they increased by 46 %, reaching record volumes. However, this success is accompanied by a fall in prices, which decreased by 54 % in March compared to the previous year. This pressure on prices is partly linked to an abundant Tunisian offer, in a European market dominated by powerful actors capable of imposing their conditions.
In Andalusia, this situation creates tensions. Vox denounces an increase of 62 % of agrifood imports from Africa since 2019, mainly citing Tunisia and Morocco. The party also criticizes European investments in olive plantations in Morocco and in hydraulic infrastructure abroad, saying that Spain does not sufficiently protect its own farmers.
Italy in war against Tunisian olive oil
This dynamic is not limited to Spain. In January 2025, the two main organizations representing olive oil producers in Italy, Coldiretti and Unaprol, proposed solutions to deal with external competition. Among them, the creation of a European telematics register to ensure the traceability of products and the limitation of Tunisian imports during the April-September period in order to protect local production.
Tensions culminated in February 2025, when dozens of pneumatic canoes surrounded a ship carrying Tunisian olive oil when it arrived at the port of Civitavecchia. Farmers affiliated with Coldiretti have set up a spectacular action to protest against Tunisian competition, with thousands of olive growers gathering on the platform, brandishing slogans in favor of the protection of local production.
According to Coldiretti, importing olive oil from outside European Union, which reached around 65 million liters in 2024, represents a direct threat to Italian industry.
