The cooperative was founded on 29 April 1960 as Cooperativa Agrícola y Caja Rural San José, thanks to the initiative and collaboration of 16 farmers from Llanos de Don Juan, who chose the cooperative model to strengthen production and marketing of their agricultural products.
Over time, it has grown significantly in both membership and cultivated area. Today, the cooperative has 761 members, mainly from Llanos de Don Juan, Zambra and El Nacimiento, who cultivate more than 2,500 hectares of olive groves across the municipalities of Rute, Lucena and Cabra.
Following the adaptation of its statutes to Andalusian Cooperative Societies Law 2/1999, it adopted its current name, Sociedad Cooperativa Andaluza Olivarera San José, strengthening its legal and organisational framework in accordance with current regulations.
In 1998, Olivarera San José also joined the DCOOP group, a second-tier cooperative bringing together more than 150 cooperatives. This has expanded its marketing capacity, improved competitiveness and consolidated its presence in national and international markets.
