This study aims to identify factors influencing the comparative advantages of leading olive oil exporting countries. It focuses on production, consumption, agricultural capital stock, GDP per capita and export prices.
The paper analyzes data from 10 leading olive oil producing countries around the world. The study period covers the last decade from 2013 to 2022. Panel data analysis was used to assess these variables’ impact on the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index.
The results show that higher agricultural capital stock and GDP significantly improve export performance. Domestic consumption and pricing strategies also affect market competitiveness. The study offers insights for optimizing production and enhancing global competitiveness for policymakers and industry stakeholders.
The main objective of this study was to determine the factors affecting the RCA index in olive oil exports. However, due to limited data for the study period, additional factors that may affect competition, such as regional policies, production costs and agricultural subsidies, were not included.
Although there are many studies related to the competitiveness of olive oil exports, this work adds originality to the research by studying the dominant olive oil-producing countries as a whole for a multi-crisis decade due to significant economic, environmental and political changes that have changed the parameters of the international trade. This temporal scope enhances the relevance and applicability of the findings.
