The second edition of Mundolivar, the World Congress of Olive Growing and Elaiotecnia, organized by Grupo Editorial Mercacei and Grupo Agromillora, has brought together during its two days around 1,400 attendees and the great leaders of international olive growing, becoming an “unmissable event” in which “all the keys to innovation, avant-garde and the latest trends that will mark the future of olive cultivation” have been revealed.
This was indicated by the organization of the event in a note in which they detailed that the congress has been “the epicenter of the olive grove and olive oil sector, bringing together all the actors in the value chain.”
The meeting, which included Portugal as a guest country and a broad representation of professionals from the neighboring country, was held under the motto ‘The path to economic and environmental sustainability’.
The second edition of Mundolivar – hosted once again by journalist Olivia Aranda – has been inaugurated by Juan A. Peñamil, CEO of Grupo Editorial Mercacei; Jordi Mateu, CEO of Grupo Agromillora; Manuel Torralbo, rector of the University of Córdoba (UCO); Francisco Ramón Acosta, territorial delegate of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; Andrés Lorite, first vice president of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Agriculture of the Provincial Council; Blanca Torrent, first deputy mayor of the Córdoba City Council and delegate of Finance, Economy and Employment.
Manuel Otero, general director of the Ibero-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and Socorro Ortega, director of the Córdoba Zone at Banco Santander, have also taken part in it.
The congress has been structured around nine round tables in which it has been revealed that Spain “must continue to be a world leader in the production and marketing of extra virgin olive oil, a resilient product, which is above the price and which “It has consumer loyalty.”
Although the need to join forces to capture the attention of the younger public has been stressed, sustainability and efficiency have been terms that have been continuously present in the interventions of the more than 50 national and international speakers who have participated. . The potential of the olive grove to recover biodiversity has also been discussed, as well as the genetic revolution for pest control and the fight against climate change, and Artificial Intelligence as an already present reality.
The first day brought together the olive oil giants at the same round table. Under the motto ‘Convulsive times in the olive sector: how to adapt’, it was moderated by Juan A. Peñamil and included Ignacio Silva, president of Deoleo; Antonio Luque, president of Dcoop; Antonio Gallego, general director of Grupo Migasa; Gonzalo Guillén, CEO of Acesur; José Luis De Prado, president of Grupo De Prado; and Jorge De Melo, CEO of Sovena, who have detailed how their companies have faced the challenges of these last two campaigns of lower production and pronounced price increases.
As for prices, they believe that “there will be changes,” but that “it will depend on how the summer weather or the autumn rains affect the olive tree.” Regarding consumption, they have indicated that “we must put the consumer at the center and satisfy their needs”, while at the same time they have opted “for quality, innovation and promotion, increasing the budget allocated for this purpose with the aim of promote the image that Spain is an absolute leader worldwide.”
Parallel activities
In addition to the round tables, Mundolivar has hosted an exhibition area with innovative formats for the event’s sponsors, where more than 40 supplier companies in the sector were able to establish direct and face-to-face contact with the participants through ‘business meetings’.
On the other hand, the practical workshops ‘Artificial Intelligence’, ‘How to boost my brand: winning differentiation and positioning strategies’, ‘Everything you need to design and manage your hedge farm’ and ‘Irrigation and fertigation design’ have been developed. sustainable in olive groves’.