Authentic, sustainable and traceable: Mediterranean olive oil at the heart of the project’s legacy
Project partners at the Mother Olive Tree (“Mana Elia”), hosted by ELGO DIMITRA
Kalamata, 7 October 2026 – The Final Project Meeting of OliveOilMedNet, the Mediterranean Network for the Promotion of Sustainability and Authenticity in the Olive Oil Sector, co-funded by the Interreg Euro-MEDprogramme, took place at the Messinian Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Kalamata. Organised by the Region of Peloponnese, the hybrid meeting brought together partners from Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Cyprus and Albania, in the heart of one of the world’s most renowned olive-growing areas.
The meeting was opened by Markos Leggas, Responsible for EU Competitive Programmes at the Region of Peloponnese, who welcomed the partners and underlined the importance of OliveOilMedNet for a region where the olive tree is part of the economy, the landscape and the identity of local communities. His address highlighted the value of transnational cooperation in protecting the authenticity of Mediterranean extra virgin olive oil and in supporting producers to meet the challenges of sustainability.
A distinguished contribution came from Isabelle Nobio, representing the Interreg Euro-MED Joint Secretariat, who joined the meeting online. MsNobio presented the Interreg Euro-MED Academy, the programme’s platform for sharing and transferring the best results of its projects, and praised the quality of OliveOilMedNet’s work, ensuring that its outputs will continue to inspire and serve the sector well beyond the project’s lifetime.
Results that make a difference for producers and consumers
Partners reviewed the project’s key deliverables,which are now reaching their final form and will remain freely available to producers, cooperatives, public authorities and consumers:
- Handbook on sustainable olive oil growing and production – already completed, positively peer-reviewed and published in the Interreg Euro-MED Academy, it was commended for bringing together the cultural, historical, technical, production and consumer dimensions of olive oil.
- AI-based authenticity system and e-authenticity tool – built on a Mediterranean dataset of more than 370 olive oil samples and their chemical profiles, the system helps verify whether an oil corresponds to its declared variety. The tool will remain hosted and freely accessible worldwide.
- Authenticity demonstration methodology handbook and Authentic Olive Data Bank – practical guidance and data that support the traceability and protection of authentic Mediterranean varieties.
- Socio-economic and environmental assessment methodology – a practical framework of environmental, economic and social indicators (from carbon and water footprint to production costs, employment and rural vitality), including circular-economy approaches for olive by-products.
- Catalogue of Authentic & Green Olive Oil Products and Networking Platform – tools that give visibility to producers committed to quality and sustainability and connect actors across the Mediterranean value chain.
The uptake of the project’s solutions is already evident: a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by 30 organisations, which commit to using and promoting the OliveOilMedNet results in their everyday work.
Study visits: from a living monument to a modern cooperative
The day concluded with two study visits that brought partners close to the living heritage and the present of Messinian olive growing. Hosted by ELGO DIMITRA, partners first visited the Mother Olive Tree – “Mana Elia”, a true monument of nature standing 14 metres tall, whose age is estimated at 800 to 1,000 years, while according to other accounts it reaches 1,733 years.
The programme continued with a visit to the Agricultural Cooperative of Kalamata, where partners toured the olive oil production facilities, learned how local producers work together to deliver high-quality extra virgin olive oil, and took part in an olive oil tasting of local products.
Project partners during the study visit to the Agricultural Cooperative of Kalamata
The Final Project Meeting in Kalamata marked a milestone in the OliveOilMedNet journey. Through its handbooks, digital tools and growing network of committed organisations, the project leaves a lasting legacy for a more authentic, sustainable and competitive Mediterranean olive oil sector, a legacy that will continue through the Interreg Euro-MED Academy and the partners’ ongoing cooperation.
