Few images better illustrate the transformative power of water on a landscape than that of Portugal’s Alentejo region since the construction of Alqueva, one of the largest reservoirs in Western Europe, which permanently reshaped the region’s agricultural profile. Olive groves were among the greatest beneficiaries. It is therefore fitting that the country where this “water miracle” was made possible will host the Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC) on 2–3 July, an internationally renowned scientific and professional forum for the olive sector, with climate change and water management at the heart of much of its programme.
This is far from an abstract debate. Temperatures are becoming increasingly extreme, droughts are lasting longer, and rainfall patterns are growing ever more erratic in areas where olive cultivation has long depended on a relatively stable Mediterranean climate. Although olive trees are naturally resilient, they are increasingly suffering from water stress, and scientific responses will be presented at the OOWC from several complementary perspectives.
One of the most promising solutions lies in genetic improvement. Georgios Koubouris, from the Greek research centre ELGO DIMITRA, will present the latest plant phenotyping technologies applied to olive breeding for climate resilience, aimed at identifying and developing olive varieties capable of withstanding increasingly adverse conditions without compromising productivity.
Water management and agronomic strategies will be the focus of a roundtable featuring Carla Inês, researcher at INIAV in Elvas—a region that understands firsthand the value of water in a historically arid landscape—alongside Antonio Manzaneda from the University of Jaén, Paula Baptista from the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, and Kamel Gargouri from Tunisia’s Institut de l’Olivier.
Three countries, three climatic realities, and one shared question: which agronomic tools can help olive groves adapt and maintain productivity when water availability is uncertain? Spain will contribute the perspective of a world-leading olive sector increasingly exposed to aridity across much of its territory. Tunisia will bring decades of experience from a region where water scarcity is not a new threat but a permanent condition that olive growers have faced for generations.
The Congress will also explore a dimension that extends beyond the field into environmental economics and sustainability. Juan Antonio Polo, from the International Olive Council (IOC), will analyse the voluntary carbon credit market as a mechanism for recognising and rewarding the environmental services provided by olive groves in mitigating climate change.
José Alberto Pereira, from the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, will focus on traditional olive groves as sources of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Gonçalo Moreira, from Olivum, will address the need for mechanisms capable of measuring and rewarding the sustainability efforts of the sector. Meanwhile, Karolina Brkić Bubola, from Croatia’s Institute of Agriculture and Tourism, will explain how circular business models and digital technologies can create new opportunities for sustainable development in the olive sector within the framework of the Circular Bioeconomy project.
From olive varieties developed in laboratories to carbon credits traded on environmental markets, the OOWC will offer in Lisbon a comprehensive overview of the challenges that climate change poses to Mediterranean olive cultivation. It is a debate that finds a particularly symbolic setting in Portugal—a country that understands what the availability of water can achieve for a territory when managed with long-term vision.
All individuals, companies, and public or private institutions within the olive sector interested in participating in the Congress may register through the following link: https://www.oliveoilworldcongress.com/inscription
The Congress already enjoys the institutional support of the International Olive Council, CIHEAM Zaragoza, and the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, together with public bodies such as the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Affairs, the Government of Castilla-La Mancha (“Campo y Alma”), the Government of Catalonia, and IMIDRA.
In the private sector, this second edition is currently supported by Olivum, together with entities such as AgroBank, the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Association, GEA Group, Novonesis, APOAC (Associação para a Promoção do Olival e Azeite de Aire e Candeeiros) through its commercial brand “Olivedos do Carso”, Adsaica (Associação de Desenvolvimento das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros), Feria de Zaragoza (ENOMAQ), Kubota, Dazeite, and Siliker, as well as OlivoGestão as Sponsor of the Scientific Poster Competition.
The OOWC invites all stakeholders to become part of this collaborative international project, explore sponsorship and cooperation opportunities, and request any additional information through the OOWC Technical Secretariat by calling +34 91 721 79 29 or emailing info@oliveoilwc.com.
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