by patrizio_eccechina
Share
Quality, culture and sustainability: the balance of EcceChina’s first year between Europe and Asia
Unaprol and the European Union together to promote quality, culture and sustainability in China through a three-year project of information and valorisation of the product symbol of the Mediterranean diet.
Promoting the culture of European extra virgin olive oil in Eastern markets, enhancing its quality, origin and sustainability: this is the aim of EcceChina – European Olive Oil: Symbol of Mediterranean Culture to Satisfy Oriental Tastes, the three-year project promoted by Unaprol – Consorzio Olivicolo Italiano and co-financed by the European Union within the framework of EU Regulation 1144/2014.
The programme, dedicated to the promotion of organic, PDO and PGI extra virgin olive oil, an authentic expression of the Mediterranean culture and symbol of a healthy and aware lifestyle, in its first year has focused on strengthening the knowledge, recognition and appreciation of this product of excellence, through training activities, guided tastings and promotional campaigns in China.
Among the most important initiatives was the institutional workshop held on 13 January 2025 at the Guangzhou Vocational School of Tourism & Business, one of the most prestigious professional schools in the Guangdong province in the tourism and gastronomy sectors.
Aimed at students and teachers, the meeting was an important training and dissemination opportunity on European extra virgin olive oil, with a focus on PDO, PGI and BIO certifications, sensory properties and uses in cooking. The theoretical sessions and practical demonstrations facilitated an initial cultural and technical exchange, helping to train new generations of taste operators aware of the value of European EVO oil as a quality ingredient, ambassador of the Mediterranean diet and symbol of sustainability.
On 20 February 2025, the EcceChina project was the focus of an exclusive press conference, hosted in the prestigious setting of the Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou (广州四季酒店).
Designed for the Chinese press and media, the event consisted of several key moments: the official presentation of the EcceChina project, a video link-up with the Italian representatives of Unaprol, and finally a session dedicated to group photos and networking with the journalists present. A strategic opportunity to tell the aims and activities of the project directly to the local media, but also to strengthen the institutional and commercial dialogue between Europe and China, promoting European extra virgin olive oil as a symbol of quality, authenticity and Mediterranean culture.
From February to May 2025, the EcceChina project carried out a lively promotional campaign in the cities of Guangzhou, Dongguan, Foshan and Shenzhen, with the aim of demonstrating how European extra virgin olive oil – thanks to its nutritional quality and stability in cooking – also fits perfectly into Eastern culinary techniques, such as wok or stir-frying. The campaign included guided tastings, cooking demonstrations in CornersDeli outlets and information materials in Chinese.
To conclude the first year of activity, an Educational Tour in Lazio – held from 7 to 12 June – welcomed eight Chinese operators from the agri-food and distribution sectors. Between visits to oil mills, meetings with producers, and tastings, the participants had an immersive experience discovering the excellence of European extra virgin olive oil, between culture, quality, and sustainability.
A first year rich in initiatives and results, which lays solid foundations to continue along the path of promoting European EVO oil in Eastern markets, enhancing its identity and fostering an ever deeper dialogue between food cultures.
