Olive oil is the central component of the Mediterranean diet and the countries around the Mediterranean sea have the largest production of olive oil in the world. Οlive oil represents a big part of the exporting activity of these countries in the agricultural sector. However, there is a growing trend in the international market towards the organic products and there is a growing need that the production from the part of the Mediterranean producers is able to match this need.
Organic olive oil is a high quality product with high value compared to other types of olive oil and it is certified by the competent quality bodies in each Member State. In order to be able to produce and sell successfully organic olive oil, there is a need to support the training of production entities of organic olive oil, members of agricultural cooperatives and managers of companies working on the conversion of conventional oil production forms into production of olive oil through organic farming. The development of the capacity of theseorganisations in the production, certification and marketing of organic olive oil is the main aim of the ECOLIVE project.
