This article was originally published by Olive Oil Times, the world’s leading international publication for olive oil news and analysis. It covers the keynote presentation delivered by Mira Lepur at the International Symposium on Olive Oils of Croatia and the Adriatic Coast, where she spoke about strategic branding, sustainability and Croatia’s global positioning in the olive oil sector. As both a development expert and a supporter of her family’s organic olive farm and mill, Lepur shared insights that bridge European-level experience with the practical realities of Croatian producers. The full article highlights her vision for elevating Croatia’s olive oil identity through quality, authenticity and strong national branding.
New Approaches to Branding Croatian Olive Oil
At the International Symposium on Olive Oils of Croatia and the Adriatic Coast, experts called for coordinated efforts to position Croatian olive oil more strongly on global markets.
By Nedjeljko Jusup
Oct. 1, 2025 20:41 UTC
Summary
Croatian development expert Mira Lepur presented her vision for positioning Croatia’s olive oil sector globally at a symposium in Postira, emphasizing the need for a strong branding strategy and sustainability. Lepur highlighted Croatia’s success at international olive oil competitions and called for a national strategy to define goals for production, research, and branding, emphasizing the importance of quality, authenticity, and cultural identity in the sector.
Postira, Croatia — Croatian development and branding expert Mira Lepur presented her vision for positioning the country’s olive oil sector on the global stage during the International Symposium on Olive Oils of Croatia and the Adriatic Coast, held last week in Postira on the island of Brač.
Lepur, who has spent much of her career managing European development projects while remaining active in her family’s olive oil business, argued that Croatia’s producers must be viewed within a global context.
“Even when we sell in domestic shops, we are competing internationally,” she said. “On local shelves, Croatian oils stand alongside Spanish, Italian, Greek, Tunisian, Chilean and Australian products.”
She added that Croatia’s annual tourism influx of nearly 16 million visitors provides another direct link to international markets. “Every bottle that leaves with a tourist becomes a small ambassador of Croatia abroad,” Lepur said.
Croatian Success on the World Stage
In her presentation, Lepur connected her professional background in strategic planning and territorial branding with her family’s long involvement in olive oil production. Their Lepur brand has been recognized at the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition.
She noted that Croatian producers continue to distinguish themselves at the world’s most important olive oil contest, winning 125 awards this year — 101 gold and 24 silver — out of 1,244 entries from 28 countries. Based on the percentage of awards compared to entries, Croatia ranked among the most successful countries.
From European Institutions to the Olive Grove
After more than 16 years of study and work abroad — in Germany, France, and Belgium, including a decade in Brussels — Lepur returned to her native Šibenik. She later led the Šibenik-Knin County Development Agency for eight years before founding her own consultancy focused on strategic development and branding.
Alongside this work, she remains closely tied to her family’s groves in northern Dalmatia. The Lepur farm also operates a modern mill and was recently included in Flos Olei, the annual international olive oil guidebook.
“Such initiatives show the potential of bottom-up energy in our sector,” Lepur said.
She concluded that Croatian olive oil may never compete with global leaders in terms of volume, but it can stand out through its quality, authenticity, and cultural identity.
“Croatia will not win with liters, but it can win drop by drop,” she said
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