IOC moves forward on its Carbon Footprint Project with a new working session in Tunisia

The International Olive Council (IOC) is moving forward with its Carbon Balance Project with a second working session to be held on 18-19 February 2025 in cooperation with the ‘Institut de l'Olivier’ (the Olive Institute) of the National Institute for Agricultural Research of Tunisia (INRAT) in Tunis. This initiative, launched in October 2024 in collaboration with the Spanish Association for Standardisation and Certification (AENOR), aims to develop a comprehensive framework and tools for measuring the carbon balance of olive groves.

The meeting was opened by Mr Hamed Daly Hassen, Director General of the Tunisian National Olive Oil Office (ONH), who expressed the Tunisian sector's expectation for the carbon credit certification methodology. He congratulated the IOC for spearheading this important initiative.

Mr. Mondher Ben Salem, Director General of INRAT, highlighted the relevance of the project, noting that it is a crucial initiative that requires tools to better understand how agricultural practices can reduce emissions and contribute to mitigation. Furthermore, he emphasised that olive crops are recognised as an effective CO₂ sink.

The aim of the project is to establish a methodology to quantify the carbon removal potential and carbon balance of an olive grove, aligned with the European CRCF standard. This framework will help olive growers around the world to obtain a voluntary certification of carbon credits for their olive groves. Mr Abderaouf Laajimi, IOC Deputy Executive Director for Operational Affairs, stressed the importance of this IOC initiative and encouraged the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institution for Research and Higher Education in Agriculture (IRESA) to create a lasting collaborative framework.

Professor Zohra Lili Chabaane, President of IRESA, warmly welcomed the initiative and expressed her full readiness to formalise the agreement, underlining Tunisia's commitment to sustainable agricultural practices.

The IOC Carbon Balance Project aims to provide olive growers with practical tools to assess the carbon balance of their orchards and generate voluntary carbon credits in the framework of the upcoming voluntary carbon credit markets. Olive groves represent 11 million hectares of forests that contribute to the health of the planet. Producing 1 litre of olive oil removes 10.65 kg of CO₂ from the atmosphere, while olive groves capture 4.58 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare per year. On average, one hectare of olive groves offsets the annual carbon footprint of one person. By promoting sustainable practices, the project aims to position the olive sector as a key contributor to climate change mitigation.

For more information on the IOC's sustainability initiatives and the Carbon Footprint Project, please visit our website: www.internationaloliveoil.org