The Mediterranean olive oil sector is facing a period of significant change. Olive growers and olive oil producers must respond simultaneously to environmental pressures, rising production costs, changing market conditions and increasing expectations regarding quality, authenticity, traceability and sustainability.

This discussion is open to olive growers, olive mills, producer organisations, cooperatives, agronomists, researchers, public authorities and other stakeholders involved in the olive oil value chain.

The aim is to identify the main challenges currently affecting the sector, compare experiences from different countries and territories, and encourage the exchange of practical solutions and good practices.

Possible topics include:

• drought, water scarcity and extreme weather events;

• climate change and irregular olive yields;

• pests and plant diseases;

• declining soil fertility and erosion;

• increasing costs of energy, fertilisers, plant protection products and labour;

• labour shortages;

• difficulties in modernising olive groves and olive mills;

• access to innovation, digital tools and precision technologies;

• management of olive mill by-products and waste;

• maintaining olive oil quality during production and storage;

• authenticity, traceability and certification;

• low or unstable market prices;

• competition from imported or lower-cost products;

• difficulties in communicating quality and added value to consumers;

• protection and commercial valorisation of local olive cultivars;

• access to finance, technical assistance and training.

Questions for discussion

1. What are the main challenges currently affecting olive growers and olive oil producers in your country or region?

2. Which challenges have become more serious in recent years?

3. How do they affect production volumes, product quality, profitability and business continuity?

4. Which solutions or practices are currently being adopted?

5. What are the main limitations of the existing solutions?

6. Which technologies, training activities, support measures or policy actions are most urgently needed?

7. Are there successful experiences or good practices that could be transferred to other Mediterranean territories?

When replying, participants may use the following structure:

Country and region:
Type of organisation or business:
Main challenge:
Effects on production, quality or costs:
Solutions currently adopted:
Main limitations:
Support, innovation or cooperation needed:
Good practices to share:

Both general observations and specific company experiences are welcome. Participants are encouraged to describe not only successful solutions, but also difficulties, unsuccessful attempts and barriers to implementation.

The contributions collected through this discussion will help the OliveOilMedNet community identify common priorities, strengthen cooperation among stakeholders and support the development of a more sustainable, authentic, innovative and competitive Mediterranean olive oil sector.

Sustainable olive growing aims to maintain farm productivity and olive oil quality while reducing environmental impacts, protecting natural resources and improving the long-term resilience of olive-growing areas.

This discussion invites olive growers, producer organisations, agronomists, researchers and other stakeholders to share practical experiences, tested solutions and good practices adopted in olive groves across the Mediterranean region.

Possible topics include:

• sustainable soil management;

• cover crops and reduction of soil erosion;

• efficient irrigation and water saving;

• precision irrigation and soil-moisture monitoring;

• balanced fertilisation and organic amendments;

• integrated pest management;

• reduction of plant protection products;

• protection of biodiversity and beneficial organisms;

• management of pruning residues;

• use of renewable energy and low-emission machinery;

• carbon-footprint reduction;

• climate-change adaptation;

• preservation of local olive cultivars;

• digital and precision-farming tools.

Questions for discussion

1. Which sustainable practices are currently applied in your olive groves or territory?

2. What environmental, agronomic or economic benefits have you observed?

3. Have these practices affected olive yield or oil quality?

4. What difficulties or additional costs were encountered during their implementation?

5. Which practices are easiest to adopt, and which require more technical or financial support?

6. Are there solutions that could be transferred successfully to other Mediterranean regions?

7. What type of training, technology or public support would help olive growers become more sustainable?

When replying, you may use the following structure:

Country and region:
Type and size of olive grove:
Practice adopted:
Problem addressed:
How the practice was implemented:
Main results and benefits:
Costs or difficulties:
Recommendations for other growers:

Participants are encouraged to describe both successful experiences and practices that did not produce the expected results. Sharing limitations and implementation problems is equally valuable, as it can help other growers make more informed decisions.

The contributions collected through this discussion will support knowledge exchange within the OliveOilMedNet community and help identify sustainable practices that can be adapted to different farming systems, cultivars and Mediterranean territories.

Olive growing is a key economic, environmental and cultural activity across the Mediterranean region. However, olive growers are currently facing a combination of environmental, technical and economic pressures that can affect productivity, oil quality and the long-term sustainability of their farms.

This discussion invites farmers, producer organisations, technical experts, researchers and other stakeholders to share the main challenges affecting olive cultivation in their territories.

Possible topics include:

• drought and limited water availability;
• climate change and extreme weather events;
• pests and plant diseases;
• increasing costs of energy, fertilisers, plant protection products and labour;
• labour shortages;
• soil degradation and loss of fertility;
• difficulties in adopting sustainable or precision-farming technologies;
• low or unstable olive and olive oil prices;
• limited access to technical assistance, training or finance;
• protection and valorisation of local olive cultivars;
• traceability, certification and market requirements.

Questions for discussion

1. What are the most serious challenges currently affecting olive growers in your area?
2. How have these challenges changed in recent years?
3. Which solutions or practices are already being adopted?
4. What are the main limitations of the existing solutions?
5. Which technologies, training activities or policy measures would provide the greatest support?
6. Are there good practices from your farm, organisation or region that could be shared with other members of the network?

When replying, you may use the following structure:

Country and region:
Type of farm or organisation:
Main challenge:
Effects on production, quality or costs:
Solutions currently adopted:
Main limitations:
Support or innovation needed:

Your contributions will help identify common and territory-specific needs across the Mediterranean olive sector and support the exchange of practical experiences and sustainable solutions within the OliveOilMedNet community.

This first discussion is intended for the presentation of project partners, registered companies and all other participants in the community. Its purpose is to help members get to know one another, understand their respective expertise and create new opportunities for cooperation among olive growers, mills, producer organisations, public authorities, universities, research centres, technical experts and other stakeholders interested in the olive oil sector.

Participants are invited to introduce themselves by providing, where possible:

• name and organisation;
• country and territory;
• professional role;
• activities carried out in the olive and olive oil sector;
• main areas of expertise or interest;
• projects, products or good practices they would like to share;
• types of cooperation or contacts they are seeking through the network.

Companies may also briefly describe their size and type of activity, cultivated varieties, types of olive oil produced, certifications, target markets, sustainable practices or technologies adopted, and the main challenges they would like to discuss.

Please do not publish personal data, confidential commercial information or other sensitive content. Direct contact details should be shared only through the tools made available by the platform.

How the forum works

The forum is a space for discussion on the main themes of OliveOilMedNet, including:

• sustainable olive cultivation;
• innovation in olive mills and production processes;
• olive oil quality, authenticity and traceability;
• analysis and valorisation of local cultivars;
• digital tools and the project databank;
• training and knowledge transfer;
• cooperation among businesses, research organisations and public authorities;
• project, commercial and networking opportunities.

Registered users may take part in discussions, ask questions, share experiences, reply to other participants and propose new topics consistent with the objectives of the network.

Before opening a new discussion, users are encouraged to check whether the topic has already been addressed. Discussion titles should be clear and accurately describe the subject.

Contributions should be relevant to the olive and olive oil sector, written in a respectful and clear manner and, where possible, based on verifiable experience, data or reliable sources. Unauthorised advertising, inappropriate content and the disclosure of confidential information are not permitted.

To encourage international participation, messages may be posted in English or in the participant’s own language. Where possible, a brief English summary should be included.

The forum is moderated by the OliveOilMedNet partners. Moderators may move discussions to a more appropriate section, request clarification, merge duplicate topics, highlight useful technical or training content and remove messages that are irrelevant, offensive, promotional or inconsistent with the forum rules.

Information shared in the forum is intended for discussion and knowledge exchange. It does not replace official certification, laboratory testing, professional advice or guidance from the competent authorities.

My introduction

My name is Stefano Massa, and I work with CIA – Italian Farmers, Regional Association of Puglia.

I am based in Italy, in the Puglia Region, and I am involved in the management and implementation of innovation, cooperation and development projects in the agricultural and agri-food sectors, with particular attention to the olive and olive oil value chain. I hold a degree in Agricultural Science and Technology and I am registered with the Italian professional register of Agronomists and Foresters, Section B.

Within CIA Puglia, I contribute to the implementation of the OliveOilMedNet project and other initiatives focused on the quality, authenticity, traceability and sustainability of extra virgin olive oil. My activities include engaging agricultural companies, supporting operational coordination, collecting data, organising events and training activities, communicating project results and facilitating cooperation among universities, research centres, producer organisations, businesses and public authorities.

My main areas of interest are:

• olive oil traceability and authenticity;
• valorisation of local olive cultivars;
• innovation in the olive oil value chain;
• environmental sustainability in olive groves and olive mills;
• digital tools supporting agricultural businesses;
• transfer of knowledge from research to companies;
• commercial valorisation and market positioning of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Through this network, I can share experience in stakeholder engagement, European project implementation, training and networking activities, and the dissemination of innovative tools and methodologies for the olive oil sector. I can also help connect Apulian producers and agricultural organisations with technical experts, researchers and institutions.

I am interested in establishing contacts with companies, olive mills, producer associations, universities and research centres working on authenticity, quality, sustainability and digitalisation. I am particularly interested in practical experiences and good practices that could be transferred and applied to olive-growing companies in Puglia.

I am pleased to join the OliveOilMedNet community and contribute to building a Mediterranean network capable of making the olive oil sector more innovative, sustainable, authentic and competitive.