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The International Olive Council (IOC) hosted a group of international journalists from the Foreign Correspondents’ Circle in Madrid for an in-depth exchange at its headquarters on Tuesday 27 January 2026. Executive Director Jaime Lillo and Deputy Executive Director Abderraouf Laajimi, together with members of the Translation and Communication Department, presented the work of the Organisation and outlined key initiatives on the horizon.
One of the most notable upcoming milestones is the first-ever deposit of olive seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located in the Arctic Archipelago of Norway. This initiative, coordinated by the IOC, will take place in February 2026 and marks a historic step toward safeguarding the genetic diversity of the olive tree for future generations. The seeds — originating from the IOC-recognised international olive germplasm collection hosted at the University of Córdoba and from wild olive specimens from the Iberian Peninsula gathered by the University of Granada — will be conserved in the world’s largest secure seed storage facility, sometimes referred to as the “Doomsday Vault.” This unprecedented action underlines the IOC’s commitment to agricultural biodiversity and food security in the face of climate change and global uncertainty.
The IOC also presented its progress towards the future launch of a carbon balance calculator for olive groves, a new digital tool designed to measure the environmental performance of olive growing systems and promote more sustainable agricultural practices across member countries.
The meeting fostered closer ties with the international media and offered insight into the vital role the IOC plays in promoting scientific cooperation, sustainability and global awareness of the olive sector. The participating correspondents represented a diverse range of outlets — including print media, television, and news agencies — from countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Türkiye, with a focus on economic, environmental and European affairs.
