• Traditional olive groves position Spain as the world's leading producer of olive oil.
• The blockchain technology tool will offer consumers confidence and a top-quality product.

The Traditional EVOO Operational Group is based on a commitment to traditional olive groves . As this is the central element, the Operational Group (OG) aims to raise awareness of all the links in the chain, especially among consumers.

This is a project that innovates technologically by applying blockchain technology to traditional olive groves . Blockchain technology is understood as a way of storing, recording, and sharing information in blocks, which are cryptographically linked and validated in a decentralized manner through a common protocol. Unlike a traditional database, the information is not centralized and is presented in a secure manner, with greater traceability and accessibility.

Thanks to this, innovation in olive groves is also achieved at the commercial level, as one of its ultimate goals is to identify the label on each bottle of olive oil for the consumer. Ultimately, the goal is to demonstrate the traditional olive grove origin with clear, digital, and compelling traceability for the consumer.

Social innovation

Likewise, it's worth highlighting a social innovation, as behind this method of cultivation are the olive-growing families and the village economy, an added value that impacts the first link in the chain.

In this sense, they maintain a general objective : to contribute to improving the profitability of traditional olive groves and to offer consumers arguments and reasons to support this type of cultivation in their purchasing decision, in addition to improving the conditions of olive farming and demonstrating that digitalization and new technologies have a place in traditional olive groves.

Objectives and results

In addition, the project proposes more specific objectives :

• Using a blockchain technology tool for traditional olive groves that offers consumers confidence and a quality product
• Incorporate representative agents from the value chain to improve the virgin olive oil chain from traditional olive groves.
• Technological, commercial and social innovation

Behind this process lies the effort of a team of day laborers who work from the harvesting season to pruning and all other activities related to olive cultivation.

Thus, Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Olivar Tradicional provides 70% of the olives in Spanish olive groves while generating employment, protecting the environment, and representing an intangible heritage of incalculable value.

According to Cristóbal Cano, secretary general of the Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers of Andalusia ( UPA ): "Traditional olive groves are not a thing of the past. If traditional olive groves were eliminated from the global olive oil market , it would be unsustainable." Thus, they are essential primarily due to the volume of oil they produce and also due to the properties of the oil itself. Thanks to the variety of olives from traditional olive groves, extra virgin olive oils achieve greater stability.

Partners and financing

The Traditional EVOO Operational Group was created based on the resolution of March 22, 2022, of the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund, OA ( FEGA ) within the framework of the National Rural Development Program 2014-2022 , with funds from the European Recovery Instrument ( EU Next Generation ). This GO receives a grant of 479,882.50 euros, 100% financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development ( EAFRD ).