`Olive Council Chooses Jean-Louis Barjol for Top Post - Olive Oil Times

Olive Council Chooses Jean-Louis Barjol for Top Post

By Lucy Vivante
Jan. 12, 2011 07:57 UTC

Jean-Louis Barjol has been named Executive Director of the International Olive Council, the inter­gov­ern­men­tal agency based in Madrid. Twenty-three nations belong to the International Olive Council, and par­tic­i­pant mem­bers decide on the direc­tor­ship. Barjol takes the place of Mohammed Ouhmad Sbitri, who headed the orga­ni­za­tion from November, 2007 until December, 2010.

Directorship of the IOC lasts for three years, and Barjol will lead the orga­ni­za­tion from through December, 2014. For the past two years, Barjol served as the deputy direc­tor of the orga­ni­za­tion, over­see­ing the Administrative & Financial and Survey & Assessment divi­sions. Barjol has been work­ing on geo­graphic indi­ca­tion ques­tions, and espe­cially explor­ing ways to develop areas out­side of the European Union.
Barjol has worked both in the pub­lic and pri­vate sec­tors. Before being recruited by the IOC, Barjol was the direc­tor gen­eral of the Comité Européen des Fabricants de Sucre (CEFS), known in English as the European Committee of Sugar Manufacturers. He worked at CEFS from 1998 to 2009.

Another career high­light is Barjol’s knight­hood, the Chevalier du Mérite Agricole Français, received when he served as France’s Agricultural Attaché in Spain between 1995 and 1998. Barjol has a degree from the Institut National Agronomique de Paris in agri­cul­tural engi­neer­ing, with a spe­cial­iza­tion in eco­nom­ics.

With a review of the names of the lat­est exec­u­tive direc­tors of the IOC, one senses that nation­als from coun­tries other than the top olive oil pro­duc­ers, Spain, Italy and Greece, are pre­ferred. Mr. Barjol is a Frenchman. France does pro­duce olive oil, just not very much. In the 2008/2009 sea­son, France pro­duced 6,500 tons, ver­sus Spain’s 1,150,000 tons.

Starting this year, there will be only one deputy direc­tor, rather than two. The IOC is in the process of search­ing for a new deputy direc­tor. That appoint­ment is expected to be announced at the Council’s next meet­ing on February 11, 2011.

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