A study on olive oil in mid-February, 2018 reveals that the oil has an ability to control blood pressure. Trials in both Ireland and Spain have concluded that as few as four table spoons daily of the dose can compensate the use of synthetic drugs. The claim is that using the oil in food brings down the quantity of triglycerides and bad cholesterol. As Kenya is an exporter of this oil, here are some insights on why to go for the supplies from family growers who cultivate brown olives in Taita and the northern parts of the country.
Extra virgin olive oil or EVOO is a source of vital nutrients that fight bad cholesterol. Alongside green leafy vegetables and fish, this Mediterranean diet is a must-have for anyone suffering from heart diseases. But not all EVOO is extra virgin. Studies show that olives from smallholder farmers provide more organic qualities than those from large plantations. Thus, as a supplement for traditional sources like Spain, Greece and Palestine you can look further south into Kenya for your olive oil.
The best olive oil is the one in the extra virgin category. This means that it has the smallest acidity level. Only 31% of the total world imports of olive oil passes through this test of being extra virgin.
The happy news is that since the bulk comes from small-scale farmers in Kenya, this raises the bar for low acidity content. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), large plantations produce just 6 to 20% of pure extracts. But family growers in Kenya harvest enough organic olives to produce above 20 percent of pure oil out of their entire production capacity.
The second reason you should consider olive oil from family growers in Kenya is Engel’s Law. The law states that the higher quality a good is, the higher its price. In other words, a country like Syria, a big consumer of olive oil overlooks price in favor of family grower-sourced olive oil. In fact, the consumers here would rather buy expensive extra virgin olive oil than cheap normal quality alternative. They also prefer to consume this plant’s oil over all other vegetable fats.
A third reason to source from Kenya is the fact that the use of olive oil in certain parts of the world is more than other common essential oils. The details below illustrate this fact. The country in the spotlight is Syria courtesy of FAO statistics:
• For a family of 4, olive oil enjoys a usage rate of 12.9 kg per year. This is more than the 5.5 kg/Yr of sunflower and corn oil at 8.2 kg/Yr and soybean oil at 3.7 kg/yr.
• For the income class of up to 150 people, olive oil consumption rate is 11.1kg/Yr, while that of corn oil is 6.6 kg/yr.
• The most popular cities including Damascus consume more olive oil at 19.8kg/Yr than its close rival corn and ghee oils at 7.6 kg/Yr and 6.3kg/Yr respectively.
• Most of these consumers would rather buy from smallholder farmers than large entities.
World consumption rates of olive oil increased 1.7 times between 1990 to 2015. This is due to the 11% to 24% growth of consumption rate in non-producing countries. This excludes Spain and Italy, some of the world’s biggest producers. This means that countries like the UK, Germany, the US and the Netherlands, always look beyond Mediterranean countries for their oil. Kenya is a sure market where smallholder farmers work hard to provide the best extra virgin quality in order to avoid export rejections abroad.
The ultimate reason why Kenya extra virgin olive oil is a great import choice is that its raw materials comes straight from the field. Because the produce is not for large-scale processing, the olives do not stay for weeks in factories but rather go into processing after each harvest. This creates an oil with 80% and above levels of pureness because of fresh supply.
Thus, if you want the best extra virgin olive oil from Kenya, consider the ones from family growers. The labeling from key fresh produce exporters are clear and do not have any hint of other vegetable oils. Make your order today and have a good hearty meal!