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The seminar, organized in collaboration with the University of Jaén, will take place from 16 to 20 September, 2024
The seminar on the “Sustainable valorization of by-products and waste minimization in the olive industry“, organized by the IOC’s Olive Growing, Olive Oil Technology and Environment Unit together with the University of Jaén, has been postponed to September for reasons beyond the IOC’s control and in order to guarantee the participation of students from all IOC member countries. The course will now take place from Monday 16 to Friday 20 September 2024, in morning and afternoon sessions held in English, French and Spanish at the University’s campus for in-person participants, and online for those unable to travel to Spain.
It is well known that olive trees are one of the most important crops in the Mediterranean region and beyond, being a fundamental economic and land resource. We live in a time where reducing environmental pollution is one of humanity’s most significant and urgent challenges. In this regard, the olive oil and table olive production chain represents a double-edged blade: it generates by-products, such as pruning waste, wastewater and pomace, which are difficult to manage and are a source of environmental concern while, simultaneously, being a very attractive potential source of income. There is growing interest in the effective and sustainable use of these by-products, making the spreading of knowledge and the dissemination of novel approaches, methods and innovative tools for their management a key item for the olive sector’s agenda.
It is in this context that the IOC and the University of Jaén will sign an operational agreement for the organization of the aforementioned seminar in September. The course is aimed at technicians from IOC member countries with an interest in environmental governance and the management of the olive production chain. They will acquire in-depth knowledge about an array of topics, including: possible effects of the management and processing of by-products; technologies used for waste treatment and reuse; usage of by-products for energy purposes; treatment of liquid effluents from olive oil mills; physico-chemical processes for reducing toxicity; phenolic compound reduction for their potential use as bioactive compounds in food; applications of olive mill wastewater to soil; and alternative uses of solid wastes as compost for producing low-cost fertilizers.
The forthcoming seminar aligns with the IOC’s extensive initiatives aimed at enhancing the sustainability of the olive sector and disseminating knowledge about the growingly appreciated alternative uses of olive by-products, which could greatly influence the investment returns within the olive sector.
