On February 18 and 19, 2025, the 2nd working session of the International Olive Council’s (IOC) Carbon Balance Project took place at the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Tunisia (INRAT), in collaboration with the l´Institut de l’Olivier. This initiative aims to establish a standardized methodology for measuring the carbon balance in olive groves and facilitating their certification as CO₂ sinks. The project was launched in October 2024 in collaboration with the Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification (AENOR).
The IOC’s Carbon Balance Project aligns with European CRCF regulations and seeks to provide a solid framework for the voluntary certification of carbon credits in olive groves worldwide. To strengthen this initiative, Abderaouf Laajimi, Deputy Executive Director for Operational Affairs at IOC, proposed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (IRESA) to consolidate collaboration in research and certification methodology development.
During the event’s opening ceremony, Hamed Daly Hassen, Director General of Tunisia’s National Olive Oil Office (ONH), highlighted the importance of this certification for the Tunisian sector and praised the IOC’s leadership in the initiative. INRAT Director General Mondher Ben Salem emphasized the project’s relevance to sustainable agriculture and the need for tools to quantify the positive impact of agricultural practices on emission reduction. He noted that olive trees are recognized as highly efficient natural carbon sinks. Additionally, IRESA President Prof. Zohra Lili Chabaane expressed her support for the proposal and reaffirmed Tunisia’s commitment to implementing sustainable agricultural practices.
Olive groves cover 11 million hectares of forested land, playing a crucial role in maintaining the planet’s environmental health. Producing one liter of olive oil removes 10.65 kg of CO₂ from the atmosphere, while olive groves capture 4.58 tons of CO₂ per hectare annually. On average, a single hectare of olive grove offsets the annual carbon footprint of one person.
By promoting sustainable practices, the IOC aims to position the olive sector as a key player in the fight against climate change while facilitating producers’ participation in voluntary carbon credit markets. The resulting certification will allow farmers to access economic incentives and encourage more sustainable agricultural practices.
The collaboration between the IOC, scientific institutions, and certification entities represents a milestone in recognizing olive groves as carbon sinks, aligning the sector with international sustainability and green economy standards.
Source: Oleo (20/02/2025)
