Madrid – The 108th session of the Council of Members of the International Olive Council has officially begun, with meetings being held this week between 19 and 23 November under Argentina’s rotating presidency in Madrid. The delegations of 15 member countries have come together at headquarters in Madrid: Algeria, Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Montenegro, Palestine, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay and the European Union.
Over the course of the session, members will examine various aspects of the sector, including administration and finance; chemistry and standardisation; technology and the environment; and economics and promotion. They will also be updated on the construction of the new global centre for olive oil documentation and research, the Observatory.
On the morning of 22 November, under the supervision of the Olive Growing, Olive Oil Technology and Environment Unit, a seminar will be held focusing on the positive impact olive growing can have on the environment. Discussions will revolve around the ability for olive trees to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and methods for calculating their carbon footprint. In the evening, members will come together to celebrate World Olive Day 2018, alongside authorities and members of the diplomatic body accredited by the IOC.
There will also be several delegations attending in an observer capacity, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the League of Arab States, the Arab Federation for Food Industries/the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League, the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Iraq, New Zealand, Peru and the United States.
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