Yesterday, 15 April, the Almazaras de la Subbética auditorium (Carcabuey) hosted a new session of the Sustainability Conference organised by the European Soil O-live project in partnership with Deoleo. Having already trained over a thousand farmers, this free programme continues its work with the aim of transforming traditional olive groves into a model of profitability and environmental respect.
The session featured Bartolomé Lara, Global Sustainability Technician at Deoleo, who outlined the importance of the company’s Sustainability Protocol. This protocol not only seeks to protect the environment but also translates into a real economic impact by raising the quality standards of the oil.
On behalf of Soil O-live, researcher Julio Calero presented nature-based solutions, emphasising that restoring soil health is the cornerstone of ensuring farm productivity and resilience in the face of climate change.
This was followed by a presentation by Laura Carrión, from the certification body Intertek. Carrión, who was accompanied by her colleague Juan de Dios García, explained the role of auditors in verifying the Deoleo Sustainability Protocol, highlighting how these audits act as a guarantee of transparency and rigour that enhances the product’s value in the global market.
Likewise, María Jesús Camacho, from Almazaras de la Subbética, highlighted the human dimension of the sector. During her presentation, she emphasised the importance of the social economy and the inclusion of women in cooperatives. She argued that a sustainable model must be equitable and dynamic, strengthening the rural social fabric to ensure generational renewal.
These conferences, funded by the European Union, form part of an ambitious series that has already covered almost 3,000 kilometres across Spain, Portugal and Greece. The event in Carcabuey is just one of the stops on a schedule that will run until June, visiting key locations in Jaén, Córdoba, Seville and Badajoz, as well as a future session in Italy. The next conference will be held on Wednesday 22 April at the SCA San Francisco in Villanueva del Arzobispo.