QvExtra! Internacional joins SUSTAINOLIVE, an international project which aims to improve the sustainability of the olive oil sector.
The association and its 33 producing olive mills join the University of Jaen’s project on improving the sustainability of the olive oil sector.
If there is one factor that defines the history of the olive grove in recent years, it is the continuous evolution towards sustainability. Whether it be in the form of agro-ecological concepts or new technologies, olive tree management is going through a revolutionary phase, led by many important projects, such as Sustainolive.
This project is coordinated by the University of Jaén and aims to promote the sustainability of the olive oil sector through collaboration, innovation, and the active support of associations. That’s why Sustainolive has welcomed QvExtra! International, a non-profit organisation founded in 2013, that works on defining more rigorous quality controls than what the current regulations demand, in order to produce the best quality EVOO: one that bears the SIQEV seal.
QvExtra! brings together a total of 33 olive oil mills with more than 96,000 hectares of olive groves across Spain and Portugal, of which 70% are organically grown or are under integrated production. This is an important figure which shows the association’s commitment to the sector, and allows it to support the Sustainolive production, on both a national and international scale.
In addition to the support and experience of QvExtra! International, Sustainolive is also made up of 22 other important entities worldwide, from countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, and Morocco. Furthermore, it is formed of 8 universities, 4 research centres, 9 olive growers’ associations, and a company that works on the dissemination and promotion of the olive sector.
Sustainolive thus confirms and backs an important fact for the future of the olive grove – that all those involved in the sector, whether primary or secondary, unite in favour of sustainability.
Photographer: Alejandro Gallego
