Olive Oil

How to find an ethical and sustainable olive oil

Many people use olive oil in cooking, particularly for Italian and Spanish dishes, and in salads where the flavour of the oil is more noticeable and is preferred to a general cooking oil. 

In addition the 'Mediterranean diet', which includes use of olive oil, has maintained interest in olive oil in the UK. At the same time, consumers are interested in sustainability issues such as organic farming and sustainable sourcing.

We discuss the environmental impact of olive oil, pesticide use and organic olive oil, and look at which type of packaging is best for olive oil.

Olive oil brands in the guide

We cover 15 brands of olive oil, from the well-known brands like Bertolli, Filippo Beiro, and Napolina, to independent brands, like Suma and Zaytoun. 

Although supermarkets are not included in this guide or rating, we ranked supermarkets in their own shopping guide. None of them perform brilliantly, although Co-op and Waitrose are the better scorers.

If you prefer to buy from supermarkets, look out for organic options from their own-brand ranges.

The history of olive oil use in the UK

The introduction of culinary olive oil to the UK is accredited to Elizabeth David, a cookery writer, who published A Book of Mediterranean Food in 1950. At that time, the oil was generally to be found in chemists, intended for medicinal rather than culinary use. 

Despite the relatively late introduction of olive oil to our rainy shores, the idea that oil is something from the olive is embedded in our common tongue. The words ‘olive’ and ‘oil’ appear so similar because they have a shared etymology: the word oil comes from the Latin oleum (oil, olive oil), which stemmed from the Greek 'elaion', meaning ‘olive tree’.

Olive oil production

Olives aren't grown here as a crop so all of our oil is imported. Our top supplier is Spain, followed by Italy, then Greece.

Olive oil has been produced in and around the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Production is generally categorised into three methods: traditional or extensive, semi-intensive, and super-intensive.

Traditional methods of production are characterised by low levels of labour and agricultural inputs, such as water, pesticides and fertilisers, and low tree density. Intensive or super-intensive olive farming generally consists of several factors: high-density plantation (up to 2500 trees per hectare), generally located on flat areas; high inputs of fertilisers and pesticides; huge water inputs and irrigation systems; and the mechanisation of pruning and harvesting.

Intensive production vs organic oil

According to a paper published in 2018, “Intensified olive farming is a major cause of one of the biggest environmental problems affecting the EU today, i.e. the widespread soil erosion and desertification in all southern EU countries. The expansion of irrigated olive production is increasing the over-exploitation of water resources that have already been eroded by other agricultural sectors.”

Olive harvesting and bird deaths

In 2024 we published a feature on the killing of migratory birds during intensive night-time olive oil harvesting. 

We found that extensive steps had been taken in European countries to tackle the issue and that organic oil is very
unlikely to use this method. 

The following companies also confirmed that they use bird-friendly harvesting: Biona, Clearspring, Filippo Berio, Napolina, Olivio, Organico, Organic Kitchen, Suma, and Zaytoun.

Why are olives harvested at night?

Night-time harvesting is done because the cool temperatures better preserve the olive flavours. However, the super-intensive machines used suck up countless numbers of birds, many of which use the trees as a resting place while on their migratory journey between Europe and North Africa. 

Does buying organic guarantee the oil is bird-friendly?

Although it doesn't specifically exclude nocturnal harvesting, it's likely that organic certification ensures more environmentally practices are used. The Soil Association told us “a recent survey showed all Soil Association Certification licensees have a bird-friendly guarantee.” 

Organic olive oil

Most of the cooking oils we looked at in the cooking oil guide are made from plants which have no commercial GM (genetically modified) varieties on the market. This means when buying olive oil you can be fairly certain you are not buying anything made with GM crops.

But, crops can still be grown with chemicals – including pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. All of these can have a hugely damaging effect on ecosystems. The simplest way to avoid this is to choose organic olive oil.

Oils from the following brands are all organic: 

• Biona
• Clearspring
• Essential
• Organico
• Mr Organic
• Organic Kitchen
• Raw Vibrant Living

Suma also offers a significant range of organic oil as well as some non-organic.

Zaytoun oil is organic but certification has been disrupted due to security issues. The company told us that certification will resume in February 2026.

Refined, cold-pressed, or extra virgin?

Most cooking oils are refined, meaning that the oil has been extracted using solvents, heat, and bleaching agents.

Cold-pressed oils on the other hand are extracted mechanically without heat or chemicals and as a result preserve more beneficial nutrients. Cold pressing gives a lower yield which means that oils extracted in this way are likely to be more expensive.

The term “extra virgin” is an official and regulated standard in the world of olive oil and refers to the very highest quality of cold-pressed olive oil. 

Packaging: glass, plastic, or metal?

Storage of oil

Cooking oils can deteriorate over time through a process of oxidation, affecting taste and nutritional value. Exposure to light and heat accelerate this process so it’s best to store oils in a cool and dark environment. 

Metal cans provide the best protection from light according to research conducted on olive oil and vegetable oil, with dark glass also performing well and plastic performing worst.

Environmental impact of packaging materials

The higher-scoring brands in this guide tend to use glass and the lower-scoring ones mainly use plastic. But glass isn’t necessarily the ethical choice. It’s easily and endlessly recyclable and if discarded is less likely to pollute than plastic, however, both recycled and virgin glass bottles have a high environmental impact because glass production is extremely energy-intensive.

And, because we tend to use glass oil bottles only once before recycling, the carbon footprint of each bottle remains high. Glass is also heavier than plastic or metal so creates more transport emissions.

While plastic may have the benefit of being light, it’s derived from petroleum and can break down into polluting microplastics. 

The metal containers that cooking oil sometimes comes in are normally made from steel with a tin lining. Steel production has a higher carbon footprint than plastic but is more easily recyclable and less polluting.

What is the best oil packaging to buy?

From both a storage and environment perspective, it’s probably best to bulk buy it in metal containers and transfer it to a dark glass bottle that you never throw away. 

Unlike most cooking oils, tins are more common for olive oil. Several brands offer this option for olive oil. 

The next best option is to refill your glass bottle from a bulk buy plastic bottle or refill pouch. 

You may also be lucky enough to live near a refill shop which sells ethical oil to you in your own reusable containers.

In the future, it would be good to see more of our Best Buys offering tin, bulk, and refill options.

Is olive oil more sustainable than other oils?

There isn't really one type of oil that is significantly worse or better in terms of environmental or carbon impact.

A 2021 study looked at the average carbon footprints of producing six oil types (this doesn’t include the impact of transporting oils to the final consumer). It found that olive and coconut oil had similar carbon footprints as did sunflower and rapeseed, with the latter two being lower. However, it also presented the same data split by country which created a more complex picture.

For example, olive oil from Greece had a similar carbon footprint to the rapeseed average and rapeseed oil from China had a similar footprint to the olive oil average. Other studies have also suggested that coconut actually has lower carbon emissions than other oils.

The different oils all have their pros and cons – for example, if looking at deforestation risk coconut oil is more of a concern, however it's much less of a concern for pesticide use.

So, when it comes to choosing an oil with a lower environmental impact, it's the company you buy from and how that oil has been sourced rather than the type of oil itself that has the biggest impact.

Our climate and agriculture ratings show how companies score for their environmental impacts, and are explored a little more below.

Israel-Palestine

Our new Israel-Palestine rating gives points to companies that have no connections with the Israeli government or related bodies. To score 100, as well as having no connections, a company must have a policy on the issue, for example against sourcing from illegal Israeli settlements, or working with Israel-based organisations, institutions, or companies.

Only Zaytoun scored 100. It received extra marks as its primary purpose is to support Palestinian farmers.

Most companies in the guide scored 80 as they had no connections with the Israeli government or related bodies but did not have a policy.

Essential and Suma scored 90 because of their support for Zaytoun. 

Archer Daniels Midland and NewPrinces who jointly own Iliada, both scored 40. Archer Daniels Midland lost points as it owns subsidiaries in Israel whose operations would result in tax revenue to the Israeli government.

NewPrinces lost points as it recently acquired the Italian operations of the Carrefour supermarket chain. Carrefour is the subject of a boycott call by the BDS movement. It also lost marks as Carrefour Italy sources products from Israel.

Bright Food Group, owner of Filippo Berio, only scored 10. It lost marks because of its ownership of Israeli dairy company Tnuva. Bright Food Group is a Chinese state-owned food and drinks company. It owns a large number of Chinese and international brands including some selling meat, dairy, and seafood products. 

According to a recent report by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories
occupied since 1967: “Tnuva has fuelled and benefitted from land dispossession ... Israel has used Kibbutzim and agricultural outposts to seize Palestinian land and replace Palestinians. Companies like Tnuva help by sourcing products from these colonies, then exploit the resulting captive Palestinian market to build market dominance”.

Climate impact of cooking oil brands

Our climate rating places a lot of emphasis on Scope 3 emissions (emissions from a company’s supply chain) as this is their biggest impact. Suma was the highest scorer because it is 90% vegan and therefore most of its products were considered to be lower carbon alternatives. It also measures its carbon footprint and is reporting on its activities to reduce it.

None of the larger companies scored very highly, often because they were not adequately reporting on or addressing emissions from their supply chains. Some also lost marks due to being criticised for poor climate practices or for having links to fossil fuels in the wider group.

Some of the smaller companies also had quite low scores as they did not have clear, publicly available policies and did not report emissions. However, their overall Ethiscores were still generally significantly higher than those of larger companies.

Animal ratings of the oil brands

Our Animal Products rating looks at the activities, policies, and practices of the company closest to the brand in the guide and also takes into account what’s happening in the wider company group. 

Only three companies scored full marks: 

• Clearspring
• Lucy Bee
• Organic Family Limited (Mr Organic) 

These three were explicitly vegan across the whole company.

Essential, Farrington’s, Suma, and Windmill Organics (Biona) were all explicitly vegetarian companies and also had adequate policies ensuring higher welfare for the animal products they did sell.

Edible Oils (Crisp ‘N Dry, Flora, Iliada, Mazola, Olivio, Pura) scored points for not appearing to sell any animal products but lost marks due to the activities of its wider company group joint venture partners: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and NewPrinces. ADM had no animal welfare policies despite selling meat and dairy. NewPrinces, which also owns Napolina, owned a number of dairy and fish brands without adequate policies and had been criticised by the Blue Marine Foundation for its fishing practices.

Two companies scored zero for animal products.

Saputo Inc (Fry Light), a major dairy company, sold significant quantities of non-organic dairy products and was subject to criticism for its animal welfare. And Breckenholme Trading Company which has two brands, including Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil, that sell a range of mayonnaises made with non-organic eggs. Although these were free range, Ethical Consumer did not consider this to provide high enough welfare standards to receive points.

Tax conduct

The worst scoring companies for tax are large multinational which make popular brands.

Edible Oils Ltd, the maker of Iliada, is a joint venture between NewPrinces S.p.A and Archer Daniels Midland, both of which score 0 for Tax Conduct. NewPrinces (Napolina) is an Italian company but is owned by a holding company based in the tax haven of Switzerland. Archer Daniels Midland owns subsidiaries based in the tax havens of Gibraltar and Cayman Islands.

CVC Capital Partners which owns Bertolli scored 0 as its ultimate parent was based in Jersey and it owned subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands. 

Owner of Fry Light, Saputo Inc, wasn’t found to own any subsidiaries in tax havens but it lost marks as, in 2023, it was criticised by a Canadian research organisation for transferring profits to the tax haven of Luxembourg.

All other companies scored 100 in this category.

Animal ratings of olive oil brands

Our Animal Products rating looks at the activities, policies, and practices of the company closest to the brand in the guide and also takes into account what’s happening in the wider company group. 

Only two olive oil companies scored full marks: 

• Clearspring
• Organic Family Limited (Mr Organic) 

These two were explicitly vegan across the whole company.

Essential, Suma, and Windmill Organics (Biona, Raw Vibrant Living) were all explicitly vegetarian companies and also had adequate policies ensuring higher welfare for the animal products they did sell.

Edible Oils (Iliada) scored points for not appearing to sell any animal products but lost marks due to the activities of its wider company group joint venture partners: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and NewPrinces. ADM had no animal welfare policies despite selling meat and dairy. NewPrinces, which also owns Napolina, owned a number of dairy and fish brands without adequate policies and had been criticised by the Blue Marine Foundation for its fishing practices.

One company scored zero for animal products.

Saputo Inc (Fry Light), a major dairy company, sold significant quantities of non-organic dairy products and was subject to criticism for its animal welfare.

Fair trade olive oil

Most of our olive oil comes from Europe and you generally won’t find Fairtrade products sourced from Europe. 

But both Zaytoun and Equal Exchange sell Palestinian olive oil that is certified Fairtrade.

Is olive oil expensive?

Olive oil is more expensive than most cooking oils, especially if comparing cold pressed extra virgin olive oil with mass produced sunflower oil. 

The brands at the top of the ethical scoretable all sell extra virgin olive oil, rather than cheaper olive oil types. 

Essential and Suma olive oil appeared to be the cheapest costing between £15-£20 per litre depending on the quantity bought.

Reality of life for Palestinian olive farmers

Best Buy Zaytoun describes the many challenges affecting the recent harvest in the West Bank and we hear from olive farmer Mohammad Washahi.

As farmers gather olives on their farms across the West Bank, a number of forces are converging in real time: a poor harvest, soaring local prices, and a fragile economy already on the brink, all dealing a harsh blow to farmers who are contending with so much.

At the same time, farmers are being blocked from accessing their groves by the occupation military or the threat of Israeli settler violence.

Many have found their groves vandalised and thousands of olive trees uprooted before they could even begin the harvest.

In Al-Mughayyir, a village near Ramallah, more than 3,000 olive trees were bulldozed by Israeli forces, part of a broader pattern of destruction. Similarly, Deir Ballout has been targeted once again. It is where, in 2021, Zaytoun customers helped plant 2,000 olive trees with the Palestine Fair Trade Association to replace those previously destroyed by Israeli forces.

“We see the olive trees as our other children,” he says.

“The olive season is our main source of livelihood.” 

“This year’s harvest is poor – maybe as low as 10% of what we might normally expect in a good season. It is partly because we only had about 50 millimetres of rain last winter, which is disastrous for olive trees as they are so dependent on rainfall.”

Importance of fair trade

Mohammad has been a member of the Palestine Fair Trade Association for eight years ensuring an export market and Fairtrade premium for his olive oil. 

“Thanks to Fairtrade and the Canaan company, our products are sold in Europe and Britain, which is a source of great pride for us.”

“As farmers, selling our olive oil allows us to cover living expenses and our children’s education. We also benefit from the Fairtrade premiums, which provide us with hand tools that help us during the olive harvest season."

This year, because of security issues, the certifier for Mohammad’s olive oil was forced to suspend operations – putting at risk the additional income the farmers earn from certified extra virgin olive oil.

It has been very gratifying to see consumers and retailers alike in the UK continue to support the same oil, even without the certification mark, until a new certifier comes on board in the New Year. “This continued support for our products helps us preserve the olive trees and our land,” says Mohammad.

Additional research by Francesca de la Torre.