The European Soil O-live project, coordinated by the University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén, is holding its fourth annual meeting. Following previous meetings in Jaén (Spain), Mytilene (Greece), and Trapani (Italy), the city of Meknes (Morocco) will serve as the hub for this international consortium from March 23 to 27 to continue promoting the regeneration of the olive grove ecosystem.
Antonio J. Manzaneda, project coordinator and researcher at INUO’s Ecology Unit, will participate in this meeting and lead the technical and strategic working sessions. Likewise, the rest of the consortium’s partners will attend in person or online, ensuring comprehensive coordination among the universities, research centers, and international organizations that make up this alliance. In addition, the meeting in Meknes will feature institutional representatives such as Luis Sánchez Álvarez, a representative of the European Commission’s “Mission Soil Secretariat,” and Juan Antonio Polo Palomino, head of the Department of Olive Grove Technology and Environment at the International Olive Council (IOC).
The primary objective of this fourth meeting is to evaluate the milestones achieved and define the next steps to transform olive grove soil management. For its part, the Meknes work plan will focus on translating scientific data into practical solutions that improve the biodiversity, fertility, and resilience of Mediterranean soils in the face of climate change.
The choice of Morocco as the host country for this meeting underscores the international scope of Soil O-Live, which, since its launch, has visited the main agricultural production areas of the Mediterranean. This itinerant approach is allowing the consortium to gain firsthand insight into the diverse realities of farming, enabling it to tailor its strategy for improving soil health to the specific needs of each region.
The program for this fourth meeting takes a technical and strategic approach, combining data analysis sessions with fieldwork. Over the course of the five scheduled days, experts will delve into the assessment of soil biodiversity and functionality, as well as the impact of agricultural practices on olive oil quality. In addition, the agenda includes coordination sessions for the various work packages (WPs) and technical visits to experimental farms in the Meknes region. These activities will allow researchers to gain firsthand insight into the realities of Moroccan olive groves, exchange knowledge with local producers, and tailor Soil O-Live’s scientific solutions to the specific climatic and edaphic conditions of North Africa.
Source: Soil O-Live (20/03/2026)
