As guests of the V. & M. Theocharakis Foundation, which kindly made its facilities available, the Scientific Society of Olive Oil Encyclopedists (4E) organized a one-day conference with
Topic: «The Olive Tree and Climate Change.».
The Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development, Georgios Georgantas, and SYRIZA’s Member of Parliament for Laconia, Stavros Arachovitis, were in attendance and delivered remarks. The Deputy Minister also sent a message of greeting.
Minister of the Environment and Energy, George Amiras.
A synthesis of the presentations by the eight scientists leads to the conclusion that the olive tree is vulnerable to the climate crisis, especially in regions such as Greece, but at the same time, sustainable olive cultivation contributes significantly to environmental protection.
Dr. Aikaterini Polimerou-Kamilaki (senior researcher and former director of the Center for Research on Greek Folklore at the Academy of Athens), who moderated the event, emphasized that this conference serves as a catalyst for launching a dialogue, with scientific perspectives serving as a guide in the effort to resolve issues, such as climate change, with the government also committed to playing a pivotal role.
Stavros Vemmos, Professor Emeritus at the Agricultural University of Athens and President of 4E, Stavros Vemmos, discussed the potential effects of the climate crisis on the physiology and fruit production of the olive tree, explaining how these effects can be mitigated by choosing traditional and
sustainable farming systems.
Christos Xylogiannis, a professor of arboriculture at the University of Basilicata, pointed out that the olive tree stands out for its resilience in areas where there is no water for
watering, but also for its lifespan. Through photosynthesis, the olive tree sequesters atmospheric carbon and stores approximately 200 kilograms per stremma per year. Special mention
was conducted on the role of soil in atmospheric carbon storage (an 1% increase in organic carbon at a depth of 50 cm is equivalent to 26 metric tons of CO2 per stremma), emphasizing that this can only be achieved through sustainable management (leaving pruned branches on the property and using compost and manure), while limiting the use of chemical fertilizers. The sustainable system acts as a carbon sink, while the conventional system acts as a source of emissions.
Michalis Ainatzoglou, a researcher in olive cultivation and the natural environment, after providing a general overview of how the natural environment functions under the influence of human activities, he turned his attention to biochar production—a realistic and highly profitable solution for olive growers that makes a huge contribution to mitigating climate change through the sequestration and long-term storage of carbon in the soil.
Emmanuel Kampourakis, Associate Professor in the Department of Agriculture and Director of the Laboratory of Olive Oil Production and Agroecological Production Systems at the Hellenic Mediterranean University (ELMEPA), Emmanouil Kampourakis, pointed out that olive groves in Greece preserve natural resources and biodiversity, helping to mitigate the effects of
extreme weather events and climate change, emphasizing that for this reason, the Greek government should provide concrete support to the olive oil industry.
Dionysis Perdikis, associate professor at the Laboratory of Zoology and Entomology of the Agricultural University of Athens, spoke about the factors that favor the development of the olive fruit fly (climatic conditions, etc.), while also presenting research findings that demonstrate the impact of climate change on the insect’s presence (in more northern regions).
The presentation of the Fruit Fly Net II olive fruit fly control system attracted particular interest; this system is designed both to monitor olive fruit fly populations using electronic traps (real-time data), and on the progress of pest control through digital mapping of areas on the farm that have or have not been adequately sprayed, resulting in reduced inputs and improved precision of treatment, with multiple benefits for both the farmer and the environment.
Dimitris Voloudakis, Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences (AUA) with extensive experience in climate change and environmental issues and a Research Associate at the Academy of Athens, examined marketing issues and consumer trends for 2022, focusing in particular on consumers’ growing interest in the environmental—and specifically the carbon—footprint of food. The climate-friendly identity of Greek olive oil can serve as an additional tool for promoting it in international markets.
Agricultural economist and publisher Vasilis Zambounis focused on the economic implications. The historic statement, «The olive tree is the economically exploitable forest of the Mediterranean,» by the late agronomist Nikos Psyllakis is confirmed in the most extreme way when we consider that Spain will suffer losses of up to 1.5 billion due to extreme weather events. He analyzed the supply-and-demand mechanism, explaining how weather conditions determine production volume—and thus producers’ income and the turnover of processors and packagers.
Agronomist Nikos Thymakis (Balkan Botanical Garden of Kroussia) presented the olive groves (Elaia + Aionia) of our country, which, beyond being part of our cultural heritage, serve as a key factor in combating the climate crisis and a vital component of the “Hellenic Garden” (Hellenic Garden), which is our proposal for mitigating it.
