PDO certification and profitability in Spanish olive oil: a firm-level analysis

dc.contributor.authorSolé Puiggené, Sònia
dc.contributor.authorMoreno Gené, Jordi
dc.contributor.authorGallizo Larraz, José Luis
dc.date.accessioned2026-05-06T10:30:49Z
dc.date.available2026-05-06T10:30:49Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.description.abstractIn an increasingly competitive global market, Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) quality schemes serve as vital strategic tools for product differentiation and regional economic sustainability. This study examines the impact of PDO certification on firm profitability by analyzing a unique panel dataset of 202 Spanish olive oil mills over the 2014–2022 period. Using the DuPont model and a random-effects regression, the analysis investigates how these quality labels influence financial performance and whether this effect varies according to firm size. The results show that PDO certification does not universally improve profitability; its benefits are most significant for smaller mills that leverage the label to achieve premium pricing and enhance consumer trust. Conversely, the positive effects diminish when certification is used primarily for volume-based competition without a clear quality signaling strategy. These findings provide critical insights for mill managers and regulatory councils, suggesting that the economic value of a PDO depends on its integration into a coherent, quality-focused marketing strategy. Furthermore, the results inform policymakers on the effectiveness of quality schemes as instruments for the economic sustainability of small-scale producers within rural development and Common Agricultural Policy frameworks.
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-026-00473-y
dc.identifier.issn2193-7532
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/470085
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherSpringer
dc.relation.isformatofReproducció del document publicat a https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-026-00473-y
dc.relation.ispartofAgricultural and Food Economics, 2026, vol. 14, 28
dc.rightscc-by (c) Sònia Solé Puiggené, Jordi Moreno Gené, José Luis Gallizo Larraz, 2026
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.accessRightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectPDO certification
dc.subjectOlive oil industry
dc.subjectFirm profitability
dc.titlePDO certification and profitability in Spanish olive oil: a firm-level analysis
dc.typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.type.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
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