The UC Davis Olive Center promotes collaboration between UC Davis, olive producers and the community. The university’s relationship with the olive industry began a century ago with the development of safe canning methods for California olives. This collaboration has also produced research into new olive cultivars, mechanical harvesting, olive fruit fly control, olive oil processing and sensory evaluation of olive oil. The UC Davis Olive Center brings together North America’s leading authorities on olive oil and table olives. Our activities include:

• Providing research in response to issues identified by California table olive and olive oil producers.
  
  
• Planting an experimental super-high-density olive grove and a certified-organic olive orchard on the UC Davis campus.
  
  
• Acquiring olive oil processing equipment to conduct experimental research on the more than 100 varieties of olives growing at UC Davis.
  
  
• Conducting genetic fingerprinting of olive varieties growing at UC Davis.
  
  
• Curing table olives and updating a pamphlet on olive curing methods.
  
  
• Producing artisan blends of UC Davis Olive Oil.
  
  
• Releasing the first UC Davis Olives, manzanilla olives from the campus cured in brine for the benefit of the Olive Center.
  
  
• Providing technical support for California legislation to prevent fraudulent olive oil labeling practices (SB 634, Wiggins).