The OOWC launches its scientific program

The Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC), which will take place from June 26 to 28 at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) in Madrid, has launched its provisional program focused on analyzing new developments and innovations in the olive grove and olive oil value chain. Find out more about the congress program by visiting this link.

For this first edition, the OOWC program has been divided into eight thematic blocks covering each and every one of the issues that concern and occupy the sector at the international level, with leading experts from more than 20 countries.

Registration for the congress, in any of its modalities, can be made through the following link.

As for the presentations and speakers, Jaime Lillo, executive director of the International Olive Council (IOC), will be in charge of opening the OOWC with the plenary lecture: 'Current situation, challenges and prospects of the world olive sector'.

Next, the blocks to be developed will be 'Olive oil facing climate change', 'Genetics and crop production' and the 'Challenges in manufacturing Processes: Digital transformation and valorization of by-products'.

For this purpose, we will count on national and international personalities such as: Juan Antonio Polo, head of Olive Oil Technology and Environment of the IOC; Georgios Koubouris, researcher at the Olive Institute of Greece; Roberto García, researcher at the University of Jaén; Emilio J. González, researcher at the University of Córdoba; or Kostas Chartzoulakis, researcher at the Olive Institute of Greece. 

The conference on June 27 will begin with the block on 'Product Quality and Safety', followed by 'Sensory Properties' and will conclude with the theme 'Communication and marketing'. Among the topics to be addressed will be 'IOC standards: Quality and purity criteria', 'The role of polyphenols in virgin olive oil in its sensory properties (Oleum)' or 'Olive oil and tourism: Business diversification of the olive oil industry - Creating of added value through differentiation and Valorization', among others.

Researchers of the stature of Mercedes Fernández, head of the Standardization and Research Unit of the IOC; Wenceslao Moreda, head of the International Olive Council Panel and member of the IOC expert committee and researcher at the CSIC; Tullia Gallina Toschi, researcher at the University of Bologna; and Imene Trabelsi, head of the Promotion Department of the International Olive Council could not miss this event.

Finally, Friday, June 28 will be dedicated to the blocks on 'Trade and consumption' and 'Olive oil, health and gastronomy'. During the day will be discussed on 'Analysis of consumer strategy in business development', 'Olive oil consumption in the world', 'Perspectives of the olive sector in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries', 'Nutriscore and IOC's action plan' or 'Olive oil and health, an inseparable binomial', among other topics.

Manuel Parras, professor at the University of Jaén and president of the Protected Geographical Identification (PGI) Aceites de Jaén; David Valmorbida, president of the Australian Olive Oil Association (AOOA); Di Yang, vegetable oil expert at the FAO Markets and Trade Division; Ayça Akça Uçkun, researcher at the Tuzmir Olive Oil Research Institute; Yousra Antit, head of the IOC's Olive Chemistry Department; Antonio Escribano, Professor of Sports Nutrition at the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM); Francesco Visioli, professor at the University of Padua; and Ramón Estruch, from the University of Barcelona, among others, will share their knowledge and experience in their respective fields of expertise.

Under the slogan 'Taste it, enjoy it, it's olive oil', the OOWC counts on the collaboration of AgroBank, CIA - Agricoltori Italiani, FOI, MSC, John Deere and the Junta de Andalucía through its brand 'Gusto del Sur' as Platinum sponsors; Grupo Interóleo, Yara International, GEA, Todolivo and Balam Agriculture as Gold sponsors; Agrocolor as Merchandising sponsor; the company Kubota and SGS as Silver sponsors. Agrotec, Voz do Campo, Puglia Live, Grupo Joly and Oleo are the Media Partners of the OOWC.