NAOOA Unveils Five-Year Strategic Plan Anchored by Proposed Federal Standards Initiative, $8M National Promotion Program

Priorities include Research & Promotion Order, FDA Standard of Identity and robust monitoring as U.S. market approaches $3.5 billion

NEPTUNE, NJ, UNITED STATES, April 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) today announced approval of its 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening the U.S. olive oil industry as the market approaches $3.5 billion. The plan establishes priority initiatives for the association, developed through a process of extensive member consultation and engagement.

The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for the U.S. olive oil category, as inflation-driven price volatility, increased global supply constraints and rising consumer interest in health and sustainability reshape purchasing behavior.

“While the United States is the most important olive oil market in the world, there’s still tremendous room for growth—only 50.1% of American households use olive oil today,” said NAOOA Executive Director Joseph R. Profaci. “Right now, we have an opportunity to come together, build consumer trust and expand the category in a meaningful way. Our strategic plan provides the roadmap to do exactly that.”

Establishing a Science-Based Standard of Identity: The NAOOA continues to advance its Standard of Identity petition, which is before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The proposed standard would establish uniform federal quality and authenticity parameters across olive oil grades to avoid label confusion and to help ensure consumers can trust what they are purchasing.

Expanded Quality and Purity Monitoring Program: Building on its comprehensive 2024 Testing Study, the NAOOA will expand its quality and purity monitoring efforts through an ongoing, systematic program designed to reinforce integrity across the U.S. olive oil marketplace.

A National Promotion Program to Educate Consumers and Unlock Growth: With an estimated $8 million annual budget to promote extra virgin olive oil in the United States, the NAOOA continues to prioritize the creation of a national research and promotion program. The federally overseen program would create unprecedented marketing resources for the industry, providing assets that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive for individual companies, particularly small- and mid-sized brands. This national program would help consumers understand the value of extra virgin olive oil, including the recommendation from the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to “prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil.” A proposal for the program was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2024 and is currently under review.


Together, these initiatives are designed to support long-term category growth and improvement by increasing available resources, strengthening oversight and bolstering consumer confidence.

Industry Participation Critical to Success

The strategic plan builds on recent efforts to broaden NAOOA's membership to better reflect the full scope of the industry. Domestic producers now represent approximately 10% of regular membership, and the creation of the Extra Virgin Alliance specialty section has expanded engagement with premium brands.

As the association advances these priority initiatives, broader industry participation will be critical to its success. NAOOA is inviting companies across the value chain—from growers and producers to importers, packagers and retailers—to join and help shape the future of the category.

"Whether you're a California grower, an international producer investing in U.S. operations or a small brand looking to grow, these initiatives are designed to create real, tangible value,” Profaci said. "The research and promotion program alone would give companies access to national marketing reach they simply couldn’t achieve on their own."

About NAOOA
Established in 1989, the North American Olive Oil Association is a trade association of producers, growers, purveyors, packagers and importers of olive oil dedicated to establishing and upholding the integrity of the olive oil industry.

Joseph R. Profaci
North American Olive Oil Association
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