LIFE Olivares Vivos+ Project to Reduce the Environmental Impact from Olive Growing Extends Throughout Spain

The project also aims to increase biodiversity and provide additional support farmers

The LIFE Olivares Vivos+ project has been so successful in specific parts of Spain that it’s now expanding to other parts of the country and beyond its borders into other Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy and Portugal.
Within Spain, it will be implemented in Extremadura, Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Valencia, Catalonia and Andalusia, and farmers will receive specific training.

The objective of the LIFE Olivares Vivos+ project is to reduce the environmental impact from olive growing, increase profits for producers, and improve sustainability. The project will run until 2026 and includes measures such as reintroducing non-crop native species, installing infrastructure to support fauna (e.g. ponds and nesting boxes), and managing herbaceous cover.

It was implemented for a 5-year period previously with very good results, which include an increase in biodiversity and a reduction in the use of fertilizers, among others. It is based on research from the University of Jaén’s ecology department, which included measuring biodiversity in 40 olive groves in Andalusia prior to and after wildlife recovery measures were introduced.
In time, the project aims to replicate the model with other products, such as citrus fruit, almond trees and vines.