The International Olive Council (IOC), in collaboration with the University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén, held the sixth meeting of the Carbon Balance project’s Working Group on 8 and 9 June. This technical meeting brought together international experts in Jaén with the aim of assessing the progress of this initiative and defining the lines of action for its next phase.
The opening session was chaired by Abderraouf Laajimi, Deputy Director of the IOC, and Pablo Cano Marchal, Secretary of the INUO, who emphasised the strategic importance of the project within the framework of international climate change mitigation policies, as well as its potential to generate added value in the olive sector.
The ‘Carbon Balance’ project aims to develop a scientifically robust methodology for quantifying and certifying the carbon sequestration capacity of olive-growing systems. This tool will highlight the contribution of olive groves to climate action, facilitating their integration into voluntary carbon markets and creating new economic opportunities for growers.
With an estimated global cultivated area of around 11 million hectares, olive groves have significant potential as a carbon sink. The project therefore seeks to establish the basis for generating verifiable carbon credits, thereby contributing to environmental sustainability and income diversification within the sector.
During the working sessions, the experts discussed the evaluation of the results of the pilot phase, the analysis of the carbon storage platform in olive groves and the progress made in designing a voluntary carbon credit certification scheme. They also addressed aspects relating to the definition of a communication strategy aimed at disseminating the results and engaging the entire sector.
The ‘Carbon Balance’ project is one of the IOC’s key sustainability priorities, as it highlights the role of olive groves as natural carbon sinks and their contribution to transitioning to more resilient, efficient, and sustainable agricultural systems.
Further information on the meeting’s outcomes and the project’s next planned milestones will be released in the coming weeks.
