Epamig is a partner with CNA in an award that will highlight the best Brazilian olive oils

 The Agricultural Research Company of Minas Gerais (EPAMIG) is a partner of the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA), the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFSPA) and the Azeite-se project during the Olive Oil edition of the CNA Brasil Artesanal Award.

The award, which will evaluate olive oils in the categories blend (mixture of two or more olive oils made with different olive cultivars) and monovarietal (made with just one cultivar), registrations are open until June 16th. Only olive oils made with national olives, produced and processed in Brazil, may be entered.

This is the seventh edition of the CNA Brasil Artesanal Award, which aims to add value to national products and production, and the first initiative focused on national olive oils. “Olive oil is an agro-industry product, it does not fall into the artisanal category, but it is very valid that we can take advantage of the expertise and scope already achieved by the CNA award, to highlight this culture that is new in Brazilian agriculture”, highlights the coordinator of the EPAMIG Olive Culture Research Program, Luiz Fernando de Oliveira, who is part of the Organizing Committee of this edition.

Luiz Fernando says that he received the first contact from CNA at the end of 2022. “Fernanda Regina, CNA's technical advisor, told me in December about the idea for the award and at the beginning of this year about the approval of the proposal. Due to EPAMIG's pioneering spirit in the extraction of extra virgin olive oil in Brazil and in olive farming work, we were invited to join the Organizing Committee, alongside Embrapa Clima Temperado researcher Rogério Oliveira, olive oil specialist Ana Beloto and professor at the Federal University of Sciences of Porto Alegre Health Juliano Garavaglia.

Rules

Registration is free and each participant can register one (1) product per category. The regulations and step-by-step instructions for registration can be consulted at website.

After confirming registration, producers must send to the CNA headquarters (SGAN, Quadra 601, Módulo K, Edifício Antônio Ernesto de Salvo CEP 70.830-903, Brasília/DF) packaged and labeled samples, totaling a volume of at least , 1 (one liter (thousand milliliters) of olive oil, according to the instructions and recommendations of the regulation. Postage of samples via post or carrier must be made by June 19th. Contents received after the deadline will be discarded.

Evaluation and technical jury

The first stage of evaluation of olive oils will be carried out by a qualified jury, made up of national experts, already invited by the Organization. “There will be six olive oil experts and four chefs, who have high credibility as olive oil tasters, who have experience as judges in international competitions”, informs Luiz Fernando.

The top three in each category will participate in a popular jury (the location will still be defined and informed by the organization). The winners will be defined by the sum of the scores in the two trials and the third stage, which consists of evaluating the history of the products.

Luiz Fernando de Oliveira says that EPAMIG and Embrapa Clima Temperado will also work on preparing samples and mobilizing producers. “It is worth mentioning that this is the first competition aimed solely at Brazilian olive oils and it is free. The winners, in addition to brand exposure, will be able to use a stamp relating to the award and will receive a cash prize”, he concludes.

historical framework

The first extraction of extra virgin olive oil in Brazil completed 15 years in 2023. The pioneering extraction carried out at the EPAMIG Experimental Field in Maria da Fé, took place on February 29, 2008, and resulted in 40 liters of the product. Since then, Brazilian olive oils, which are also produced in the south of the country and in mountainous regions of states such as Bahia and Espírito Santo, have won medals in competitions around the world and gained prominence in the gastronomic market for their freshness and sensorial attributes.

In Serra da Mantiqueira, between the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, there are around 200 producers and 90 own brands. Brazil is the second largest importer of olive oil in the world with more than 100 million liters per year. Production in the country has the potential to grow and in 2023 it should be close to 500 thousand liters. The main focus is to advance quality, which has been proven in the gastronomic market and in international competitions.