The ‘ABSORCABOLIVO’ Operational Group is going to develop an accessible and highly scalable standard that certifies the increase of organic carbon stored in olive grove soils, which can be a source of income for olive growers. It is made up of the Consule Group, the University of Jaén, through the University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils, the ‘Sociedad Cooperativa Andaluza Santa Teresa de Jesús’ and the ‘Fundación del Común de Segura’ (Territorial Innovation HUB).
Aware of the challenges that the olive grove sector in general, and the traditional olive grove in particular, are currently facing, these four entities have joined forces to contribute their knowledge and technical potential to work on the development of a certification standard for carbon credits in the olive grove that can be offered with guarantees in the voluntary carbon market.
According to the criteria accepted by the Kyoto Protocol for the offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions, certification procedures are needed for offset emissions that the different governments can incorporate into their general accounting of emissions/absorptions with a view to compliance or non-compliance with the agreements adopted.
For this reason, the University of Jaén, through the Functional Unit of Ecology, whose head is Professor Roberto García Ruiz, the University Institute of Research on olive groves and olive oils (INUO) and the INTELLFOO laboratory, headed by Professor Francisco Ramón Feito Higueruela, have joined forces with the CONSULE Group Consultancy, ‘S.C.A. Santa Teresa de Jesús’ and the ‘Fundación del Común de Segura’ to develop a standard that certifies the increase of organic carbon stored in olive grove soils, and that this could represent a source of income for olive growers, especially in areas where production costs, soil sensitivity to erosion and intra-crop competition, among others, could mean an uncertain future for this rural production sector.
Making it accessible and highly scalable will be another of the facets that the University of Jaén will try to facilitate, in order to reach the greatest number of farmers and hectares with laboratory data and its comparison with remote sensing techniques.
From March 2024 until June 2025, samples will be taken in typical farms, laboratory analysis and analysis of satellite images to check the evolution of the quantities of carbon stored in olive grove soils according to the different agronomic practices recommended for this purpose.
The results will be shared with the farmers throughout the implementation of the project, as the ultimate recipients of the benefits derived from it, through training and information days that seek the greatest social impact.
The project is financed by funds from the ‘Line 2 Operation 16.1.3: Aid for the operation of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) operational groups’ in the field of agricultural productivity and sustainability in the olive grove sector.
