The Oleoestepa cooperative has celebrated its 40th anniversary with an event at the Hacienda Parchilena in Estepa that brought together over 400 guests. The entity groups together 19 olive oil mills and more than 7,000 olive-growing families from Seville, Córdoba, and Málaga.
The cooperative Oleoestepa held the central event of its 40th anniversary this Thursday at the Parchilena olive estate in Estepa (Seville). More than 400 guests attended the meeting, including clients, suppliers, representatives from olive oil companies, business organisations, members of the governing boards of its 19 associated mills, and workers from the cooperatives.
Founded four decades ago, coinciding with Spain's entry into the then European Economic Community, Oleoestepa was established as a second-degree cooperative, a model that groups several cooperatives to jointly transform and market their production. It currently integrates 19 mills and over 7,000 olive-growing families from the provinces of Seville, Córdoba, and Málaga.
The entity has specialised in extra virgin olive oil, its main hallmark. A large part of its activity takes place in the territory covered by the Protected Designation of Origin Estepa, the label that guarantees the origin and quality of its oils.
Attending the institutional event were the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía, Consolación Vera Sánchez; the Secretary General of Industries, José Carlos Álvarez Martín; and representatives from the municipal corporations of the three provinces where the cooperative operates.
In her speech, Deputy Minister Consolación Vera emphasised Oleoestepa's role, with more than 7,000 olive-growing members, in the sustainable development of the rural environment. She highlighted the olive grove as the primary economic driver of the region and a key element of its social fabric, and congratulated the members for their commitment to quality, recognised in an extensive national and international awards list.
The mayor of Estepa, Antonio Jesús Muñoz, expressed his satisfaction at having a company like Oleoestepa in the region, which generates direct and indirect employment and is based on the olive grove as the main economic activity of the area.
“Forty years later, we are still what we were on the first day: farmers and cooperatives that decided to join together to do things right. Seeing more than 400 people here today — members, governing boards, clients, suppliers, institutions, and our team — is the best proof that this project made sense and that the future lies in continuing together,” said Jesús Pedro Juárez Martín, president of Oleoestepa.
The managing director of the cooperative, Álvaro Olavarría, recalled how Oleoestepa was able to take advantage of Spain's entry into the European Economic Community and the support of the administrations to promote association among olive growers and provide them with a solid entity to market their productions collectively.
From the Estepa City Council, they congratulated Oleoestepa and all the families of olive growers that make up the cooperative. The entity continues its activity in the territory covered by the DOP Estepa, with a presence in national and international markets.
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