From the sun-baked plains of Pothohar to the foothills of northwestern Pakistan, olive cultivation is increasingly being viewed as more than an agricultural experiment. With rising demand for premium olive oil worldwide and mounting pressure from costly edible oil imports, Pakistan is now seeking to position itself as an emerging player in the global olive industry.
In a significant boost to those ambitions, Pakistan has officially become a full member of the Madrid-based International Olive Council (IOC), a move officials say could help open export opportunities across the Gulf, Europe and North America while accelerating investment in the country’s fast-growing olive sector.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Spain, Dr. Zahoor Ahmed, signed the accession agreement at the IOC headquarters in Madrid, the food security ministry said Tuesday. IOC member states collectively account for more than 98 percent of global olive production and trade.
The membership will allow Pakistan to participate as a full member in the IOC’s 123rd session next month and gain access to internationally recognized certification systems, quality benchmarks, technical expertise and export networks tied to the global olive industry.
Officials say the development could strengthen Pakistan’s long-term push to reduce dependence on imported edible oils while creating new opportunities for farmers and exporters.
“This membership is not merely symbolic; it is a strategic milestone that can transform olive cultivation into a key driver of edible oil self-sufficiency, rural development, climate resilience and high-value agricultural exports,” Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said.
“Pakistani olive oil now has the opportunity to compete with some of the finest olive oils in the world,” he added.
According to official estimates, Pakistan has nearly 10 million acres of land considered suitable for olive cultivation, though only around 55,000 acres have so far been developed. Authorities estimate that roughly 1.3 billion olive trees would be required to fully utilize the country’s potential, while only about seven million trees have currently been planted.
Officials believe the sector could eventually generate more than $3 billion annually through olive oil exports if developed at scale.
The IOC membership will also enable Pakistani olive oil and table olives to be graded under internationally recognized standards, a step seen as critical for accessing premium international markets with certified extra virgin olive oil products.
The food security ministry said the agreement would provide Pakistani farmers, millers and researchers with access to technical training, exchange programs, scholarships and collaborative initiatives with institutions including CIHEAM Zaragoza, the University of Jaén and the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
Pakistani producers will additionally become eligible to compete in major international olive oil competitions, including the prestigious Mario Solinas Quality Award, which officials say could help strengthen the country’s branding in global markets.
Pakistan currently spends more than $3 billion annually on edible oil imports, making domestic olive cultivation increasingly attractive from both an economic and food-security perspective. Officials say climatic conditions in the Pothohar plateau and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are particularly well suited for olive farming.
As part of efforts to build a domestic olive industry, Hussain said last year that Pakistan had established 51 olive oil extraction units, four laboratories and more than 90 startups linked to the sector.
In October 2025, Pakistan also hosted the Pakistan Olive Summit 2.0 in Islamabad as part of broader efforts to attract investment, innovation and international partnerships in the country’s emerging olive economy.
Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.
