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A delegation from the Tacna region of Peru visited Spain. The aim of the visit was to establish contacts in research, development and innovation, find ways to make Peru a more competitive player through new technologies, study food safety and environmental quality and seek opportunities for international cooperation.
The 15-strong delegation included representatives from the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation, olive and oregano producers’ associations, the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and the incubator of the Private University of Tacna.
This visit is part of the Tacna region’s plan to develop the regional ecosystem for research, innovation and entrepreneurship, according to the principles of the European Commission’s RIS3 policy, in the given areas of specialisation, in particular the agricultural, agro-industrial and fisheries sector, tourism and international trade, but also entrepreneurship, education and sustainability. This project was initiated by the Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer (CITEAgroindustrial) in Tacna.
The Tacna region is the main olive-producing region in the country, accounting for more than 80% of Peruvian production.
The IOC helped the Peruvian delegation draw up its programme of visits and accompanied it for two days. First, on 15 March, the group went to the University of Córdoba, where the head of the IOC’s Olive Oil Technology and Environment Department, Pablo Morello, took part in a meeting with researchers from the UCOLIVO group: Professors Isabel Trujillo, Concepción Muñoz and Diego Cabello, and the Gen4olive project coordinator, Hristofor Miho. The importance of the conservation of olive genetic resources, varietal identification, olive certification and different planting systems were highlighted and the THOC and Gen4Olive projects, which promote similar objectives, were presented.
Several members of the delegation (Manuel Morales, President of the Pro Olivo Association, Úrsula Cavero, Director of Pro Olivo, David Casanova, Director of the INIA in Tacna (MIDAGRI) and Eduardo Baumann, an entrepreneur in the olive sector) visited IOC headquarters in Madrid where they were welcomed by the Executive Director, Abdellatif Ghedira, and Deputy Executive Director, Jaime Lillo. Together, they discussed strategies and collaborations between the institutions. The prospect of Peru joining the IOC was also raised, given the strategic and historical importance of this country.
And finally, on 26 March, a virtual meeting was held between the technical committee of the Peruvian National Quality Institute INACAL and the IOC’s Standardisation and Research Unit, including the head of the Standardisation and Research Unit, Mercedes Fernández, and the head of the Olive Oil Chemistry Department, Yousra Antit. The group discussed topics of interest related to standardisation, future collaborations and the need to maintain permanent communication between the IOC and Peru.
