Quality
Our growers serve the oil they produce to their families. They use modern equipment and processing systems, practice sustainable farming techniques, and abide by the strictest international quality standards, having earned one or more of the following certifications*:
- ISO:9001:2008
- ISO 14001:2004
- BRC Food
- IFS
- Calidad Certificada (Andalusian Regional Government)
- SOHISCERT (certified organic by the Spanish Certificion Society 'Sociedad Hispana de Certificación')
- CAAE (certified organic by the Organic Agriculture Board of Andalusia
*Additional certificates and testing are provided upon buyer request.
Process
The extra virgin oils we work with are picked directly from the tree by hand or mechanical processes only, between mid October and mid November. To maximize the extraction of the olives' original characteristics and health-promoting properties, they are cold pressed under two hours (premium varieties) or between 4-6 hours (extra virgin) after picking. Some growers harvest at night to guarantee low temperatures throughout the entire process.
Additionally, our growers are certified for their integrated farming practices which are at the forefront of innovative techniques for energy use, water control, and biomass to harmonize production with the natural environment. Even the estates that have achieved complete self sustainability continue investing in research related to their carbon footprint, organic farming techniques, and new olive varieties.
Granada
Home to Nasdek, LLC, Granada is the third largest producer of olive oil in Spain and the world, with 184.527 hectares of olive trees that create employment for 30% of rural workers. The province has produced an average of 100,000 metric tons in recent years.
The principal types of olives cultivated are picual, lucio, loaime and nevadillo negro.
Jaén
Spain leads the world in olive oil production, and Jaén, with over 60 million olive trees within an area of 13.496,09 km2 (5,200 square miles), leads both Spain and the world. Jaén alone produces 20% of the world's output, outperforming the world's second leading producer, Italy.
Its 550,000 hectares of fields, which account for 40% of the olive trees in Andalusia, contain a variety of premier olive varieties: picual, manzanillo de Jaén, royal and hojiblanca. The aspects and flavors of the province's olive oil consist of intense green colors, slight bitterness, spicy notes and fruity finishes.
Close to 80% of Jaen's agricultural terrain is dominated by olive trees, rendering the province a true expert in historical and modern cultivation and production methods.