After the 2021 campaign, Portugal will become the 6th largest olive oil producer in the world and the 3rd largest exporter in the European Union. The growth of the olive-growing sector, registered in recent years, is essentially due to the appearance of new irrigated areas – highlighting the example of Alqueva – which have made it possible to install modern and efficient olive groves and the consequent installation of mills.
The Alentejo Olive Oil Sustainability Program was born from the need to solidify this growth, and its main goal is to certify this product, demonstrating that it is produced in a sustainable way and reinforcing its value. The certification is being developed with the technical and practical knowledge of the Association of Southern Olive Growers (Olivum), the promoting entity, with the scientific and theoretical capital of University of ÉvoraThis is a tool that is technically rigorous, and practically applicable.
This set of agents that will materialize the certification was formalized as the project’s official pilot group last May, where the scope of the certification was discussed. In June the pilot group met to discuss more specific topics, such as soil management and biodiversity conservation.
On September 6th, the pilot group for the Alentejo Olive Oil Sustainability Program met again, this time to discuss other specific issues that the certification will address: the social dimension of sustainability and cultural heritage. The session started with an opening speech by Gonçalo Almeida Simões, Olivum’s Executive Director, followed by presentations by Professor Rui Fragoso, from the University of Évora, and by Archaeologist Tiago do Pereiro, from Era – Archaeology, which aimed to trigger discussion and sharing of ideas among the group.
During the debate, the group pointed out the importance of each producer surveying and evaluating the cultural heritage existing on their farm, preserving it correctly, and valuing it, sharing it, and making it known to society. The group did, however, show concerns about the high bureaucracy and lengthy process that this survey and assessment entails. The desire to value olive oil as a historical product, characteristic of Portuguese culture and of the Mediterranean diet, through museums, interpretive centers, or road maps, was also expressed.
Regarding social issues, the olive industry testifies as to what they already do to promote greater proximity and involvement with their workers and the community, such as: the training and conditions offered to their employees, hiring local labor and suppliers, recruiting young interns who have attended universities in the region, opening their property for recreational activities such as hunting or fishing, engaging with academia in studies and field trials, providing monetary support to associations and social support structures, or opening their olive grove or mill for study tours for preschool, elementary or high school students.
However, the group showed concerns about the difficulty that currently exists in acquiring and retaining workers despite the conditions offered. The importance of a transparent relationship with the community, parishes, municipalities, and neighbors was also stressed, opening whenever possible the doors of the olive groves and olive presses to let the population know what is done there.
The Alentejo Olive Oil Sustainability Program will continue to work on certification and recognition of the value of the olive oil sector. Follow the project on its social networks, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, or subscribe to its newsletter.
September 13, 2022
