When people think of premium olive oil, Italy and Spain are usually the first countries that come to mind. That reputation is well-earned, but it doesn’t tell the full story. Tunisia has been quietly producing some of the world’s finest extra virgin olive oil for thousands of years, and today it holds a title that might surprise you: the world’s largest producer of organic olive oil.
This isn’t marketing. It’s backed by data, international competition results, and a growing number of chefs, importers, and food buyers who have quietly made Tunisian olive oil their first choice.
Here’s why.
The olive tree is not a recent crop in Tunisia; it is an integral part of the country’s identity. Olive cultivation in Tunisia dates back to Phoenician and Roman times, when the region known as ancient Carthage was already supplying olive oil to the entire Mediterranean world. Today, Tunisia has more than 82 million olive trees covering nearly 1.8 million hectares, making it the country with the highest olive tree density in the world.
This deep agricultural heritage means Tunisian farmers aren’t learning how to grow olives. They’ve been doing it for generations, passing down techniques, knowledge of the land, and an instinctive understanding of when and how to harvest.
This is one of the most overlooked facts in the food industry: Tunisia is the world’s largest producer of organic extra virgin olive oil, with nearly 80% of national production classified as organic.
That figure is extraordinary when you consider the scale. Tunisia became the world’s second-largest olive oil producer overall in the 2025/2026 season, with output reaching a record 500,000 tonnes according to the International Olive Council.
The reason so much of it is organic isn’t purely ideological; it’s rooted in the country’s traditional farming practices. Many Tunisian groves have never used pesticides or synthetic fertilizers in the first place. The dry climate, thin soils, and low pest pressure naturally support farming without chemicals. For a global market increasingly demanding clean-label, certified organic products, Tunisia is uniquely positioned.
What gives Tunisian olive oil its character comes down largely to two native varieties:
Chemlali: the most widely planted olive in Tunisia, covering around 70% of the country’s groves. It thrives in the dry central and southern regions and produces a smooth, mild oil with notes of green almond, fresh herbs, and a light fruitiness. It’s versatile, clean, and well-suited for everyday cooking and blending.
Chetoui: cultivated mainly in the fertile hills of northern Tunisia, this variety introduced Tunisian olive oil to true olive oil enthusiasts. Chetoui produces a bold, peppery, complex oil that is naturally rich in polyphenols. It’s exactly the kind of robust, high-antioxidant oil that health-conscious consumers and gourmet buyers are searching for. One unmistakable sign of good Chetoui: that distinctive peppery sensation at the back of the throat after swallowing, a direct indicator of high polyphenol content.
Together, these two varieties give Tunisian olive oil a range and depth that few other origins can match.
Polyphenols are natural antioxidants found in extra virgin olive oil. They are a key indicator of its quality, nutritional value, and shelf life. Oils rich in polyphenols are more stable, offer a more complex flavor, and are more beneficial to health.
Tunisian native cultivars, particularly Chetoui, are among the highest in polyphenol content of any olive varieties in the world. The combination of Tunisia’s dry climate, mineral-rich soils, and early-harvest practices results in oils that regularly test above 400 mg/kg in polyphenol concentration, well above the industry average.
For importers, retailers, and professional buyers sourcing premium extra virgin olive oil, polyphenol content is increasingly a specification on purchase orders, not just a marketing line.
Skeptical? The results from international competitions speak clearly.
At the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious olive oil quality contest, Tunisia took home multiple Gold and Silver awards, including several in the organic category. Tunisian producers have accumulated 98 Gold and 91 Silver awards in the all-time NYIOOC rankings.
The 2026 National Competition of the Best Extra Virgin Olive Oils in Tunisia, organised by the National Oil Office (ONH), awarded 36 exceptional oils and noted that the 2025/2026 harvest stood out for exceptional chemical purity, minimal acidity levels, and a total absence of organoleptic defects.
Tunisia is no longer a hidden gem. It is a recognised world-class origin.
Despite all of this, a significant portion of Tunisian olive oil is still exported in bulk to European countries, where it is blended, repackaged, and sold under Italian or Spanish labels. Buyers in Europe and beyond have been benefiting from Tunisian quality for decades without the label ever saying so.
The situation is evolving. Tunisian producers and exporters are increasingly investing in premium branded olive oils, bottling products from a single estate and exporting directly to markets such as the UAE and the GCC, where demand for authentic, high-quality Mediterranean products is growing rapidly.
For food businesses sourcing Mediterranean products in the UAE, this shift represents a real opportunity to access world-class organic olive oil at the source, with full traceability, before the rest of the market catches up.
KB Agriculture was founded on exactly this logic. Rooted in Tunisia, where our production unit and sourcing operations are based, we work directly with producers who combine organic farming, early harvesting, and cold-pressing to deliver oil that meets the highest international standards.
Our olive oil portfolio, including the single-origin selections under our premium brand, is built around the same values that have made Tunisian olive oil exceptional for centuries: clean land, native varieties, careful harvesting, and no shortcuts.
Whether you are looking for wholesale olive oil supply for retail, HoReCa, or private label, or you want to understand what separates genuine extra virgin olive oil from ordinary table oil, the answer often starts in Tunisia.
Tunisia is not an emerging olive oil country. It is one of the oldest, most productive, and most decorated origins in the world, and it is the global leader in organic production.
The combination of ancient native varieties, a climate perfectly suited to olive cultivation, traditional organic farming, and a new generation of producers focused on quality and traceability makes Tunisian organic extra virgin olive oil genuinely exceptional.
It has always been good. The world is simply starting to pay attention.
Interested in sourcing premium Tunisian olive oil for your business? Get in touch with KB Agriculture. We supply wholesale and private label from our production base in Tunisia to distributors and buyers across the UAE, GCC, and worldwide.
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