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The two institutions will collaborate in the fields of training, research and technical cooperation
The International Olive Council (IOC), through its Executive Director, Jaime Lillo, and the Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), through its Vice-President for International Affairs, Francisco Javier Moreno Fuentes, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) setting out how the two institutions will work together to create synergies in activities relating to training, research and technical cooperation, as well as in activities implemented as part of bilateral and regional development projects.
CSIC and the IOC have maintained institutional relations for several years through frequent training activities, cooperation, experience sharing and exchange of information, as well as through contributing to the international debate on the importance of agriculture in general and olive growing in particular.
The two institutions consider research and training to be essential investments for the future, hence the need to place them at the heart of the strategy of olive oil-producing countries to promote growth and the creation of sustainable and inclusive jobs. Vocational and higher education is an essential component of human development, as it provides the high-level skills needed by experts in the olive sector. The MoU also underlines the central historical role of the olive tree, which plays a fundamental role in the economy, landscape, environmental protection and agricultural production of olive-growing countries and in the vitality of the rural areas where it is grown, as well as the health benefits of olive oil and its role as an essential staple of the Mediterranean diet.
The Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) is the largest public research institution in Spain and one of the most recognised institutions in the European Research Area (ERA). Created almost 85 years ago, it is attached to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.
