PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The olive tree is one of the most widespread agricultural tree species in the world. About 70% of the worlds olive production comes from the European Union, where about 5 million ha are olive groves. Agriculture is particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather events, and faces the challenge of climate change impacts. However, olive trees are able to survive and produce under different and difficult agro-ecological conditions. They represent, therefore, an unusual case of a crop which could be used toemphasise carbon sequestration and mitigate the effects associated with climate change. This is in line with one of the main objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2014-2020 which seeks to fully exploit the potential of agriculture to mitigate climate change and adapt the whole sector to its consequences, thereby increasing its positive contribution to carbon sequestration. Nonetheless, little is known about the CO2 fixation capacity of olive groves and about their mitigation effect on greenhouse gases.
OBJECTIVES
The OLIVE4CLIMATE - LIFE project proposed a holistic vision of the processes and products associated with the production of extra virgin olive oil, based on a quantitative assessment of the related carbon footprint. The proposed innovative cultivation approach was tested in three Mediterranean countries with heterogeneous environmental conditions and significant olive production: Italy, Greece and Israel. By means of a series of demonstration actions, the project tested strategies for the sustainable production of olive oil and promote the uptake of secondary products derived from integrated cultivation systems. A Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted, allowing the quantification of the carbon sequestration potential of olive groves, and providing the necessary information to define a technical protocol that is replicable in different production and environmental contexts. The project beneficiaries also aimed to draft a handbook for the sustainable management of olive groves and a standard for the certification of the sustainability credits generated.
RESULTS
The OLIVE4CLIMATE - LIFE project developed an integrated approach to the production of extra virgin olive oil, based on an assessment of the carbon footprint of all the processes involved. This approach was tested on olive farms in three Mediterranean countries: Italy, Greece and Israel.
The project partners characterised the 21 demonstration olive farms involved in the project. On these farms, they implemented a selection of appropriate best practices for environmental sustainability. These were assessed through the development of a model for the quantification of carbon footprint in each production phase. Project partners also developed a computer model to design the planting layout of olive groves, according to territorial and insolation parameters, in order to optimise the light interception and consequently the photosynthetic rate as well as the fruit production and carbon sequestration.
Guidelines were prepared for the sustainable management of the olive oil supply chain. One innovative aspect of the project was the promotion of new cultivation practices for olive tree crops in order to find cost-effective means of mitigating and adapting to climate change. Standards for sustainability credits certification allow to calculate the amount of sustainability credit that can be produced from olive farms. A key milestone was the sale on the market of the first sustainability credits obtained from the olive farms adopting sustainable practices.
Significant CO2 emissions savings were achieved on the demonstration farms: 0.06 t of CO2/ha/year due to the reduction of nitrogen fertilizer by 15%; 3.49 t of CO2/ha/year due to the use of pruning material for energy production to replace fossil fuels; at least 1.17 t of CO2/ha/year by using green cover in olive groves instead of soil tillage; at least 0.55 t of CO2/ha/year due to the practice of minimum tillage in permanent crops. Furthermore, the use of an olive pitting machine in olive mills and the reuse of the pits for energy production allow a reduction of CO2 emissions by 9%, and the use of photovoltaic systems in olive mills allows a reduction of CO2 emissions by 12%. If all the proposed practices were implemented on one farm, the potential maximum saving has been estimated as 10.5 t of CO2/ha/year. Asfor CO2 sequestration, the coordinating beneficiary measured an average increase of 1.17 t of CO2/ha/year.
The project team organised 14 Information Days for stakeholders and farmers in the three Mediterranean countries. In addition, scientific and technical publications, interviews and various presentations of the aims and results of the project have been made.
In the long term, theoretically, the same direct benefits monitored in the demonstration farms could be achieved anywhere in the Mediterranean where olive groves are cultivated. Moreover, the increased organic carbon in soils can help prevent desertification processes in arid areas where olive groves are cultivated.
The project contributes to the implementation of the EU 2020 Climate & Energy Package and 2030 Climate and Energy Framework, by promoting a sustainability credit market on a voluntary basis, based on credits produced by olive groves, for the mitigation of climate change. OLIVE4CLIMATE also notably supports the Effort Sharing Regulation, which aims to limit national emissions of GHGs in sectors not covered by the EU Emission Trading System from 2021 to 2030, and among others it covers agriculture and land use sector. The instruments proposed by the project are in line with the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and can be considered as actions in the Regional Rural Development Programmes.
The projects socio-economic assessment included a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) of the entire olive oil supply chain. This highlighted that larger farms are likely to gain more benefit from a sustainability credit market. Though the proposed sustainable practices provide environmental benefits, these have not always translated into reduced costs for farmers. However, a survey among consumers suggested that the price of 1 litre of extra virgin olive oil labelled with a "Carbon Footprint Environmental certification" could be 3 higher than a typical oil in Italy and Greece. The proposed sustainable practices are also expected to help farmers in rural and disadvantaged areas obtain public funds under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).
