Tunisian producer Massiva earned a Gold for Damya Robust and a Silver for Damya Biodynamic, continuing a strong record at the world’s leading olive oil quality contest.
Olive Oil Times |
Tunisia — Massiva has been awarded a Gold and a Silver at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for its Damya olive oils.
Massiva earned a Gold Award for Damya Robust, a robust-intensity Chetoui monovarietal. The extra virgin olive oil is distinguished by tropical fruits, green banana and fresh grass, with the structure and pungency associated with early and careful handling of fruit. Massiva also received a Silver Award for Damya Biodynamic, a medium-intensity Chemlali monovarietal produced using biodynamic practices.
Massiva’s performance in New York extends a multi-year run of recognition. The producer’s NYIOOC history now stands at 11 awards, including four Gold and seven Silver Awards, with results building year over year: three Silver Awards in 2025, followed by a Gold and a Silver in 2024, a Gold and a Silver in 2023 and a Gold and a Silver in 2022.
Founded by Naouel Bouabid, Massiva combines a family tradition of olive growing in Tunisia with a market focus shaped by Bouabid’s move to the United States. Bouabid has described launching Massiva after missing fresh extra virgin olive oil from her family’s groves, and introducing the first Damya extra virgin olive oil to neighborhood stores in 2020, an early step in building visibility for Tunisian olive oil in the competitive U.S. retail landscape.
In interviews with Olive Oil Times, Bouabid has attributed Massiva’s consistency to an experienced production team in Tunisia and the coordination required to meet U.S. market expectations, while navigating conditions that can complicate organic and biodynamic farming. She has also pointed to climate pressures affecting olive growing in Tunisia, including out-of-season heatwaves and erratic rainfall, and noted the additional vulnerability organic farmers face to pests and disease without synthetic pesticides or herbicides. In 2025, Bouabid highlighted damage caused by the cochineal insect to prickly pears, which play a supporting role in biodiversity and olive farming systems in Tunisia.
“Our olive season in Tunisia is truly at the mercy of climate change these days,” said Naouel Bouabid, owner at Massiva. “We’re seeing more and more unpredictable weather.”
“Winning awards like the NYIOOC is a great honor, and our true reward is creating exceptional olive oil that our customers love,” said Naouel Bouabid, founder at Massiva. “We’re committed to uphold this tradition of excellence for years to come,”
Massiva’s approach is rooted in Tunisian food culture, where olive oil is a staple ingredient. Massiva has emphasized producing extra virgin olive oil that is pure, authentic and fresh, not blended, and made from Tunisian olive varieties.
The 2026 results also strengthen Massiva’s standing in the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, where Massiva is ranked #2 in Tunisia, #55 in the Northern Hemisphere and #58 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.