LEARN ABOUT OLIVARES VIVOS

WE ARE OLIVE GROWERS RESEARCHERS CONVERVATIONISTS

PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE SCIENTISTS INVOLVED

BIODIVERSITY

+

PROFITABILITY

OLIVARES VIVOS

Olivares Vivos is an innovative farming model that recovers olive grove biodiversity and transforms it into profitability for the farmers. This scientifically endorsed model is working to produce oils certified and identified by a hallmark that both differentiates and adds value to them.

TOGETHER TO RECOVER THE OLIVE GROVE BIODIVERSITY

Olivares Vivos is made up by olive growers and both public and private institutions that put faith into the future of the olive grove and have already shown that it is possible to have another model of profitable and committed to nature olive growing.

MEET THE INSTITUTIONS THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE

THE OLIVE GROVE: A HOT SPOT OF BIODIVERSITY IN EUROPE IN EUROPE

Due to its extension, social and economic importance and environmental value, the olive grove is a strategical crop for the European Union. It covers almost 5 million hectares along this community of countries and it is one of the main crops in Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal, with peak regions such as Andalusia and Apulia. Furthermore, it employs thousands of workers as in the field as in the related industry, means a significant percentage of the agricultural GDP of these countries and becomes a country brand in all of the them.

In addition, it is the most representative crop of the Mediterranean basin ecoregion (the most important European region for the biodiversity conservation on a global scale). Due to its permanent nature (unlike herbaceous crops) and the thousands of years it has been cultivated, the flora and fauna of this region have not only evolved alongside the olive grove, but also have found a refuge in it. It can be verified with the naked eye, just observing the large number of olive groves inside spaces of the Natura 2000 Network or around them.

Unfortunately, this biodiversity is in crisis. The abuse of fertilizers and phytosanitary products with the purpose of reaching the intensification of the olive grove, the use of heavy machinery during agricultural works and its extension over other crops, creating large monocultures, have caused an ecological crisis, whose main symptoms are the erosion and the loss of biodiversity.

The main reason of this situation has been the search for the maximum possible production, due that both the public institutions and the farmers themselves have considered it as the only way to look for the profitability of their farms. A decision that has consequences on the profitability of traditional olive groves, that are now competing with other more productive plantations or have to resort to the use of large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides, whose price are increasing.

To reverse this situation, Olivares Vivos has designed and tested an agriculture model that recovers biodiversity through a series of actions on agricultural plantations, related to the management of herbaceous covers; the restoration of unproductive spaces on the plantations, the planting of different types of arboreal, bushy and herbaceous species and the installation of support elements for wildlife (nest boxes, creation of ponds and drinking fountains, etc.).

WORKING IN FAVOUR OF NATURE INCREASES THE OLIVE OWNERS PROFITABILITY

The recovery of the biodiversity improves the agricultural profitability. On the one hand, because of the implementation of the ecosystem services provided by flora and fauna, what makes it necessary to use less fertilizers and phytosanitary products. In addition, it becomes the olive grove to be selected to obtain aids and subsidies from agricultural public policies. But, above all, because it increases consumer appreciation for these oils, due to the added value represented by the recovery of biodiversity, which is certified through a regulation developed since years of scientific work and that is perceived by the customers through a hallmark that differentiates these EVOOs reconciled with life.

THE LARGEST STUDY WORLDWIDE ON BIODIVERSITY IN THE OLIVE GROVE HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT FOR DEVELOPING THIS MODEL

2015

THE LARGEST STUDY ON THE BIODIVERSITY OF THE OLIVE GROVE

University of Jaén, CSIC and SEO/BirdLife selected and researched about the existing biodiversity in 40 olives groves throughout Andalusia.

This research showed how olive groves still conserve a very important biodiversity. During these works, 180 species of birds, 60 of ants, 200 of bees and 750 of plants were identified.

IT WAS SUCH AN EXHAUSTIVE RESEARCH THAT A

For two years, specific restoration plans were applied for each olive grove, based on the agroscheme of Olivares Vivos: the management of the herbaceous cover, the recovery of unproductive spaces (such as streams, roadsides, boundaries, etc.) and the installation of elements for supporting the fauna (nest boxes, insect nests, shelter boxes for bats, birdbaths, small ponds…).

RESTORING BIODIVERSITY PLANS ARE IMPLEMENTED

BIODIVERSITY IN OLIVE GROVES IS MEASURED AGAIN

SURPRISING RESULTS

On average, more than 5 species per group of indicators were recovered and their abundance increased by 36%, in just three years.

Four of the five groups of indicators increased, both in species richness and abundance.

FARMERS SUPPORT

Different manuals were prepared for explaining how to recover biodiversity on agricultural plantations, as well as other materials so that Farmers who wanted to, could know how to certify their farms and their oils as Olivares Vivos.

THE PARTICIPANTS EVOOs HAVE THE OLIVARES VIVOS HALLMARK

The first participating oils were put up for sale to evaluate consumer behaviour towards these EVOOs and the Olivares Vivos hallmark.

20 demonstrative
olive groves

15 EVOO
Brands

140.903 m2 of
restored olive groves

2021

BUT THIS DOES NOT END HERE

LIFE OLIVARES VIVOS+

During its first stage, Olivares Vivos has become a benchmark in the reconciliation of agricultural management with biodiversity, achieving a great both national and international recognition. And this is the line where a good part of our new objectives can be found.

In this line is where a good part of the new objectives that we have set ourselves are moving.

Now, we are looking to accelerate the replication of the Olivares Vivos model by some of the main olive-producing regions of Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal; as well as taking the model to the table olive sector or even transferring it to other crops, such as vines, almonds or pistachios. In addition, at this stage it will be possible to evaluate how the recovered biodiversity behaves in the longer term and the behaviour of the model in climate change scenarios.

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