This section provides a quick reference of answers to questions that industry often ask us. If you have an important question that is not answered here, please let us know and we will add it.

1. Where can one buy certified seedlings of local olive varieties in Lebanon?
2. Which are the accredited laboratories in Lebanon to test the quality of olive oil to abide by international quality standards?
3. Are there any Lebanese national standards for olive oil quality?
4. What are the types of mills used for olive oil production in Lebanon?
5. Are there any regulations related to the establishment of an olive oil mill in Lebanon?
6. How can I get in contact with Lebanese producers of olive oil?
7. Where can I get information on organic olive growers and oil?
8. Is there an official taste panel for olive oil in Lebanon?

1. Where can one buy certified seedlings of local olive varieties in Lebanon?

• There are presently no private or public nurseries providing certified seedlings that are locally produced. Accordingly, one cannot buy any certified seedlings of the local varieties. Imported certified seedlings of international varieties can be found on the market.
• During the past 4-5 years, the Ministry of Agriculture had been active in distributing from its own nurseries close to a million olive trees per year of the local varieties to the growers. This program has recently been discontinued.
• The Lebanese Agriculture Research Institute's station in Tyr-South Lebanon has established, through an FAO-supported program, mother plant fields and a nursery that produces good quality (though not certified) seedlings of local and imported varieties of olives.
• A national project was launched in 2004 which aims to develop a fruit tree certification system (including olives) that will, in the future, allow for the production of certified fruit tree seedlings which are true-to-type and with sanitary controls. This project is being supported by the Italian government and executed by the Lebanese Agriculture Research Institute with the technical backstopping of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari-Italy (one of the institutes of CIHEAM).
• There are several hundred local nurseries selling olive seedlings in Lebanon. They are spread throughout the country and are usually not specialized in one type of fruit trees. Many of these nurseries are small and not listed in official registers. Lists of registered nurseries might be obtainable from the Ministry of Agriculture.

2. Which are the accredited laboratories in Lebanon to test the quality of olive oil to abide by international quality standards?

• There are presently in Lebanon no accredited laboratories. However, there are several high quality laboratories, public and private, that can perform almost all of the olive oil quality tests that are required by international standards. (See Industry Contacts page.) The Industrial Research Institute (IRI), a semi-autonomous public institute functioning under the direction of the Lebanese Ministry of Industry, is recognized as the official source of laboratory results for the Lebanese government. Though not yet accredited internationally, IRI and several private laboratories have already completed several steps towards receiving a series of required ISO certificates.
• The Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade is presently implementing a quality improvement project financed by the European Union that includes initiatives for the support of  several Lebanese laboratories to get internationally accredited, with the aim of facilitating Lebanese food exports.

3. Are there any Lebanese national standards for olive oil quality?
Lebanon has a clear published standard for the quality of olive oil that is set by the Lebanese Standards Institution-LIBNOR. The Lebanese olive oil standards are in accordance with the standards set by the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), of which Lebanon is a member. The implementation of these standards is optional for industry. The Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture is presently in the process of developing national regulation for the production and marketing of Lebanese olives and olive oil.

4. What are the types of mills used for olive oil production in Lebanon?

• There are an estimated 544 olive oil mills in Lebanon (including registered and unregistered mills).
• These mills are distributed as follows in the Lebanese regions: 2.5% in Bekaa, 21% in Mount Lebanon, 12% in Nabatiyeh, 50% in North, and 14.5% in South.
• The technology level of mills in Lebanon is relatively low: only 3% are of the automatic continuous system; 15% are of the semi-automatic mechanical system; and the vast majority of mills (82%) use the old press technology that is labor intensive.
• Most mills have relatively low unit capacity (average 600 kg/h) and the mill capacity is commonly underutilized, with a working capacity commonly under 150 kg/h.
• A list of major mills and the mill equipment available in Lebanon can be found in the industry contacts section.

5. Are there any regulations related to the establishment of an olive oil mill in Lebanon?

• Until recently, olive mill registration at the Lebanese Ministry of Industry was not mandatory. Accordingly, among the estimated 544 existing olive oil presses, only 21% are officially registered at the national level, while 46% are in local registers. Local registration means that the mills have received official permit for installation. The newly established registration system with the Ministry of Industry requires two permits: one for installation and the second one for operation.
• The establishment of olive oil mills is also regulated by recent legislation set by the Lebanese Ministry of Environment which regulates, among other things, the management of mill byproducts and wastewater. This has become a serious problem since the closure of the pomace extraction factories in Lebanon.

6. How can I get in contact with Lebanese producers of olive oil?

• There is no official registry for growers or farmers in Lebanon. However, a minority of olive growers are members of farmers cooperatives and a registry of all cooperatives in Lebanon is available at the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture.
• The recently established Lebanese Inter-professional Olive Oil Syndicate (SILO), has started establishing a database of olive growers, mill owners, processors and merchants.
• Several NGOs implementing development projects with the aim of improving of the olive oil sector in Lebanon are in direct contact with growers throughout the country, whether through training programs, direct extension or other services provided to those growers. These NGOs are good information sources to get in contact with growers. These NGOs include SRI International/INMA, Rene Moawad Foundation (RMF), Institute for University Cooperation (ICU), Association for Rural Development (ADR).