The Spanish cooperative group earned its ninth Gold Award at the world’s largest olive oil quality contest for its medium-intensity Picual extra virgin olive oil.
Olive Oil Times |
Jaén, Spain — Jaencoop S.C.A. 2º Grado has been awarded a Gold at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for the Prologo brand.
Prologo is a medium-intensity extra virgin olive oil produced from Picual olives. Prologo is distinguished by green almond notes and a fresh, savory character that recalls leaf, lettuce and tomato leaf, with artichoke emerging through the finish.
Jaencoop S.C.A. 2º Grado is a second-degree cooperative group based in Spain and among the largest cooperative producers and traders of olive oil worldwide. Operating at industrial scale in the heart of Andalusia’s olive country, the group has emphasized investment in innovation and the development of new techniques related to olive oil production, linking the work of member mills with centralized filtering, bottling and commercial operations.
In Jaén, where olive groves extend across vast areas of the province, the cooperative model underpins some of the region’s largest milling facilities. One of those mills, Almazara Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Villacarrillo, was founded in 1966 and has grown into a high-capacity operation designed to receive and process enormous volumes of fruit during harvest. The facility relies on a tightly organized reception and sorting system, multiple crushing and centrifugation lines and large-scale storage infrastructure, reflecting the level of coordination required to transform harvests from thousands of growers into market-ready extra virgin olive oil.
Spanish cooperative groups have also looked beyond traditional markets to expand demand for higher-quality extra virgin olive oil. In 2023, Jaéncoop participated in a trade mission to Japan alongside other Andalusian agribusinesses as producers sought to strengthen commercial ties in a market where consumption has risen steadily over three decades and Spanish olive oil is already the leading import category.
The 2026 Gold continues a consistent record for Jaencoop S.C.A. 2º Grado at the NYIOOC, bringing the cooperative’s competition history to nine Gold Awards with no Silver Awards. With recognition in multiple editions of the competition, Jaencoop S.C.A. 2º Grado has returned repeatedly to the NYIOOC as a benchmark for quality assurance in large-scale production.
The award also advances Jaencoop S.C.A. 2º Grado’s standing in the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, where it is ranked #20 in Spain, #58 in the Northern Hemisphere and #59 Worldwide.
The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, widely regarded as the world’s leading olive oil quality contest, is a trusted reference for consumers and industry professionals.