The extra virgin olive oil sector once again has a date marked in red on the calendar. The Government of the Canary Islands, through the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty and the Canary Islands Institute of Agri-food Quality, has activated the machinery of the Official Agrocanarias 2026 Competition, a call that seeks to recognise the excellence of the products of the Canary Islands and reinforce its projection to consumers and distributors.
Olive oil mills interested in competing have until 3 March to formalise their registration via the regional government’s electronic headquarters.
A key issue after a poor harvest
The event will take place on 18 and 19 March in La Gomera and is open to both natural and legal persons who produce, process and bottle oil on the islands. As usual, it is required that the facilities have health authorisation, that the product is present in the commercial channels under their own brand and that the operators appear in the corresponding national census.
The director of the ICCA, Luis Arráez Guadalupe, underlined the weight that this production has been gaining in recent years and celebrated the return of the competition after it could not be organised in 2024 due to the virtual absence of olives. He recalled that the award is a visibility tool, but also a recognition of the work in modernisation, innovation and constant improvement carried out by the Canary Island olive oil mills.
Blind tastings and the highest standards
To guarantee objectivity, the samples will be examined by a specialised panel using the blind tasting system, without reference to brands or origins. The big names of the year will be chosen on the basis of these evaluations.
The awards include:
- Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the Canary Islands 2026.
- Best Organic EVOO of the Canary Islands 2026, reserved for operators registered in organic production and which exceed 65% of the maximum score.
- Best Image and Presentation, which will reward design, labelling and commercial attractiveness of the packaging.
In addition, the best-rated oil, provided it scores at least 85 points, will be awarded the Grand Gold Medal. Above 80 %, gold medals will be awarded and above 75 %, silver medals.
How to participate
The deadline for registering the application is 23:59 hours on 3 March 2026. Applications must be accompanied by the documentation set out in the official rules and must be processed through the channels provided by the Regional Ministry and the ICCA.
The event is a new opportunity to measure the level of a young but increasingly competitive subsector, which has managed to place island references in rankings and specialised guides. With Agrocanarias as a showcase, the EVOO produced on the islands will seek to continue consolidating its prestige inside and outside the territory.
