Cold​iretti and Unaprol rally in Bari over plunging olive‑oil prices and fraud

Thousands of Italian olive‑oil growers gathered in Bari in a nationwide protest organised by Coldiretti and Unaprol (or Aprol). Delegations from Calabria, Abruzzo, Basilicata and other regions denounced the collapse of the farm‑gate price for extra‑virgin olive oil – from about €9 a litre last season to just over €5 – well below production costs. Growers also highlighted rising energy charges of more than €200 per hectare and a flood of cheap imported oil that undercuts domestic producers.

The protest warned of widespread fraud, including the use of chlorophyll, deodorised oil and other chemical adulterants that threaten consumer health, especially in school and hospital meals. Participants called for stricter enforcement of anti‑unfair‑trade rules, a ban on sub‑cost sales, and the introduction of advanced traceability tools such as isotopic mapping and nuclear magnetic resonance. They also demanded electronic transport documents for olives, the suspension of zero‑tariff Tunisian oil imports and the elimination of the active perfection traffic regime (TPA).

Alfonso Cavallo, president of Coldiretti Puglia, said: “We cannot allow the work of thousands of olive growers to be mortified by speculation and fraud that destroy the value of genuine Italian extra‑virgin oil and put consumers’ health at risk.”