Face to face with: Ciccolella | SANA Partner

November 2025

Since 1878, the Ciccolella family has owned large estates with around 8,000 Coratina and Ogliarola Barese olive trees in the province of Bari. Today, after more than four generations, the company—led by Giuseppe Ciccolella—produces a superior quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the result of passionate work in the fields and the skillful use of the best technological resources.

Our Green approach and the use of sustainable agricultural practices define our philosophy: “We do not inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” Guided by these values, Giuseppe Ciccolella personally oversees the cultivation of the olive trees and every stage of the production process, from harvesting the olives to pressing and bottling.

The result is a superior quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil made exclusively with olives from our farm. This oil stands out for its organoleptic properties, fragrance, color, and the distinctive flavor of its cultivars. The quality of our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is further enhanced by innovative, plastic-free packaging that combines practicality with elegance.

What inspired your participation in SANA Food 2026, and what goals or expectations are guiding you in this new edition?

Starting this year, we are expanding our range of certified organic products. Beginning with our Organic Cru, we have extended certification to Cagnara DOP, Cru di Puglia IGP, and Fuara.

Participating in SANA Food 2026 is a natural step in this journey: we aim to strengthen our presence in the organic sector and engage with companies that share our philosophy of sustainability and respect for the land.

Our main goal is to reinforce the brand’s positioning in the organic market, create new business partnerships, and communicate to the public the true value of an extra virgin olive oil produced with full respect for the environment.

Today’s consumers are increasingly conscious about health and well-being. How has this awareness influenced your production choices or inspired new product concepts?

The growing consumer focus on food quality has strengthened our belief that a high-quality extra virgin olive oil should not only be delicious but also healthy and sustainable.

For this reason, we have chosen to invest in organic production, low-impact farming practices, and the immediate crushing of olives after harvest, in order to preserve the oil’s nutritional and antioxidant properties to the fullest.

Our plastic-free and fully recyclable packaging is also based on this philosophy: a genuine product must be accompanied by packaging that respects nature.

Moreover, through our olive oil tourism experiences, we aim to raise greater awareness of extra virgin olive oil as a fundamental food for health, highlighting the connection between territory, quality, and well-being.

Tradition and innovation often go hand in hand in a company’s growth journey. How do you manage to honor your roots while giving them a contemporary interpretation?

Before being olive oil producers, we are observers of nature. We have learned to let the land guide us, just as generations before us did. From this heritage comes our concept of innovation: combining traditional agricultural knowledge with modern technologies and sustainable practices.

Today, our company is fully organic and powered by clean energy, thanks to a photovoltaic system that provides us with autonomy for most of the year. Production waste is reused as natural fertilizer, and our packaging is completely plastic-free, made from recyclable materials.

In this way, we keep our roots alive, interpreting them in a contemporary way through a constant commitment to quality, respect for the environment, and the beauty of our territory.

Transparency, sustainability, and traceability have become essential values in today’s market. How do you bring these principles to life in your distribution practices?

For us, transparency means clearly sharing every stage of the process, from the field to the bottle. All our products are fully traceable and made exclusively with olives from our own groves.

Even in distribution, we pursue sustainability: we use plastic-free packaging, recyclable materials, and collaborate with partners who share our commitment to the environment. In this way, each bottle becomes a tangible testament to our dedication to quality, authenticity, and respect for the land.