# The Potential of Apulian Olive Biodiversity: The Case of Oliva Rossa Virgin Olive Oil
## 1 Introduction  
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is one of the most renown advocate of the Mediterranean diet all over the world, representing its principal source of fat [1; 2; 3]. Its worldwide appreciation is linked to key features that include its hedonistic aspects together with the nutritional and the healthy ones [4; 5; 6; 7; 8]. However, despite the great importance gained, quite often the discussion about EVOO is generic and the \"extra virgin olive oil\" class becomes a huge container in which the single features and particularities of different EVOOs are lost. This approach may lead unfamiliar and also traditional consumers to the misconception that all the EVOOs are the same and also increase the perception of EVOO as a commodity [9]. In last decades, this behavior has been even enhanced by the fact that the majority of the virgin olive oil (VOO) is produced from few cultivars together with the development of super-intensive cultivation [10], despite the huge degree of olive biodiversity at disposal worldwide. As proof of this, it is reported that around 9% of the total Spanish varieties accounted for 96% of the olive-growing surface area in Spain; in Italy, 80 varieties out of 538 accounted for 90% of the total area; and in Greece, only 3 cultivars accounted for about 90% of the total area [10]. However, in contrast with such trend, actions have been taken toward the characterization, differentiation and valorization of monovarietal olive oils and olive biodiversity. This is proven by the rise in studies aimed at the valorization of olive biodiversity at the national [11; 12; 13; 14] or local scale [15; 16; 17; 18]. The safeguard and valorization of biodiversity has become a crucial matter in national and international policies [19]. Biodiversity is the key for a resilient and sustainable agriculture and represents one of the most important heritage to be preserved. One of the most important tools in this sense, adopted by the EU about two decades ago, is the designation of origin (DO) of food products [20]. DOs represent and implicit link with specific territories and, indeed, with their genetic resources. In recent years, an increasing role of the olive variety and of the place of origin in driving the marketing strategies has been observed in the Italian olive oil market, even if the differentiation among EVOOs is still vertical and the market segmentation strongly based on habits [21]. Nonetheless, [PERSON] and colleagues [21] observed that EVOOs from local cultivars still get a less premium price, probably as a consequence of a lack of information on the consumers' side. Hence, it appears clear that supporting biodiversity and local typical production goes through the knowledge and the communication to the consumers of the specificity of local products. Italy has a large olive germplasm, estimated in over 500 accessions, including varieties, old local landraces and feral forms, which makes it the leading country for olive biodiversity [10; 15; 22]. In particular, old local landraces may represent a treasure at the disposal of farmers, producers, olive mills and sellers in the framework of a comprehensive valorization of the territory. Among these, \"Oliva Rossa\" represents an old landrace belonging to the autochthonous Apulian olive germplasm [23]. Only few traces about the characteristics of this cultivar and of the derived VOOs could be found in the literature. According to the Italian National Review of Monovarietal Olive Oils [24] and the Olea database [25], Oliva Rossa is a synonym of \"Oliastro\" and is reported to be autochthonous to the Apulia region. Other synonyms of the landrace are \"Lezze\" in the area of Brindisi; \"Olivastro del Gargano\" in the area of Foggia; and \"Olivasto di Conversano\" in Bari province [23; 25]. The old landrace is designed for oil extraction while no information about other purposes has been reported.