Pakistan's olive ambitions go global

May 13, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan has formally become a full member of the International Olive Council (IOC), the world's leading intergovernmental body for olive oil and table olives which represents nearly 98% of global production.

The membership grants Pakistan direct access to international quality standards, certification systems, advanced research, technical cooperation, and premium export markets across Europe, the Gulf, North America, and East Asia, according to a press release issued.

The Instrument of Accession to the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015 was signed at IOC Headquarters in Madrid by Pakistan's Ambassador to Spain, Dr. Zahoor Ahmed, in the presence of IOC Executive Director Mr. Jaime Lillo.

The signed instrument will be deposited with the United Nations Treaty Section to complete the formal treaty process.

Pakistan is expected to participate as a full member at the 123rd IOC Council of Members session in June 2026, having previously attended the 122nd Session in Córdoba as an observer state.

Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, who personally led Pakistan's candidature before the IOC, called the development a "strategic milestone" that would help transform olive cultivation into a major pillar of edible oil self-sufficiency and high-value agricultural exports.

Pakistan has identified over 4.4 million hectares of land suitable for olive cultivation across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab's Pothohar region, Sindh, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistani olive producers will also become eligible to participate in international competitions, including the prestigious Mario Solinas Quality Award.

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