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The IOC at the International Conference on “Olive Oil for Peace and Sustainable Development” organised by CIHEAM Zaragoza
To commemorate this year’s International Peace Day, celebrated annually on 21 September, the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (CIHEAM Zaragoza), a longstanding partner of the IOC, organised the International Conference on “Olive Oil for Peace and Sustainable Development” with the support of the University of Zaragoza. The conference highlighted olive oil’s contribution to local development across the Mediterranean and beyond, as well as its role as a symbol of peace, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
The event gathered representatives from the public and private sectors, including government officials, intergovernmental organisations, universities, cooperatives, companies, and social leaders, to examine the role of cooperation in ensuring that olive oil production supports sustainable development. Discussions focused on production techniques, management strategies, and agri-food cooperation initiatives aimed at promoting a culture of peace.
The conference was opened by Raúl Compés, Director of CIHEAM Zaragoza. On this occasion, the IOC was represented by its Deputy Executive Director Abderraouf Laajimi who participated in the roundtable on “Institutional support for the promotion of olive growing”. In his intervention, he highlighted the specific measures that governmental institutions could take to support the modernisation and sustainability of olive cultivation. He also emphasised the importance of adopting policies that would improve the competitive potential of olive oil in the international market.
Juan Antonio Polo, Head of the Olive Technology and Environment Department, highlighted the environmental and social importance of olive growing in the Mediterranean. He noted that the UN identifies “carbon farming” as key to meeting 2050 climate neutrality goals. Olive groves, serving as permanent CO2 sinks, provide essential ecosystem services that should be recognised and potentially monetised. In 2024, the IOC launched a project to develop a scheme for calculating the carbon balance of olive groves and generating voluntary carbon credits for farmers.
The olive tree has long been a symbol of peace, dating back to ancient civilizations. In fact, the United Nations emblem displays an olive branch, reinforcing this important crop’s association with global peace. It is symbol of unity, understanding and cooperation for civilisations of the Mediterranean and elsewhere.
You can read the conference programme here.
