The World Olive Day ceremony will be held on Thursday 23 November at the Organisation’s headquarters in Madrid, as part of the 118th session of its Council of Members. The event will focus on the fundamental role of all women working in the olive oil sector and their importance in passing on knowledge and know-how.
World Olive Day was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at its General Conference in 2019 and on the occasion of its 40th session. As the organisation points out, this age-old “universal tree” is essential not only for the lands where it is grown, but also for the communities of our shared planet as a whole.
Numerous activities will be organised to mark the occasion. The IOC will be inviting representatives of the main women’s networks active in the world olive oil sector, as well as heads of international institutions working for the recognition of the role of women in society. The celebration will include tastings of olive oils from different countries and typical dishes made with olive oil and table olives, the showing of videos illustrating the entire production chain of olive products, a concert and, most importantly, the awards ceremony for the International Graphic Artwork Competition launched by the IOC to celebrate the vital role of women in the world of olive oil.
The competition, organised by the International Olive Council (IOC) and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), will give international exposure to original and unpublished works depicting the theme at hand through one of the following techniques: coloured pencils, pastels, watercolour, gouache, acrylic paint, felt pens, collage, recycled or natural materials, computer-assisted drawing, etc.
Artists wishing to take part must send the IOC Executive Secretariat a photograph of their work in JPG format, a technical description, and a text introducing them and explaining what they wanted to express through their work by 23 October 2023. All the information you need to participate in this exciting competition is available here.
We will be publishing more information on what promises to be an exciting day as soon as possible!