In the Spotlight: OLIWA’s “Zero Waste” Mission Featured in Olivo e Olio Magazine

OLIWA has recently been highlighted in the November 2025 issue of the prominent Italian agricultural magazine, Olivo e Olio. The extensive feature validates our consortium’s core objective: achieving a “zero waste” model within the Mediterranean olive sector.

Operating across six countries—Greece, Italy, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, and Turkey—our network of 25 partners is actively transforming olive residues into high-value resources like bio-packaging, biogas, and animal feed.

The publication specifically spotlights the concrete scientific milestones we are targeting. For instance, the article details our innovative approach to biopackaging, where integrating a thin layer of wax derived from olive leaves could improve the water barrier effect of food films by up to 30%. It also highlights our circular energy models, noting that combining olive pruning residues with animal manure and insect farming waste for biogas production aims to increase alternative energy use by at least 30%.

Furthermore, the feature recognizes the critical role of our partners, such as the Cnr-Ispa, in testing the biological properties of natural olive extracts to be used as functional ingredients in animal feed.

Coordinated by Prof. Maria Teresa Capucchio at the University of Turin and backed by 4.5 million euros from the PRIMA program, OLIWA is not just conducting research. As the article underscores, we are directly addressing the European Green Deal and the “Farm to Fork” strategy by drastically reducing post-harvest losses and promoting sustainable, local circular economies.

Read the full feature in Olivo e Olio to learn more about how scientific innovation is reshaping Mediterranean agriculture.