106 CULTIVAR ANALYSIS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDIES No. 35 Olive groves and olive oil implementation of intensive systems and reduce producers’ competitiveness in national and international markets. Thus, the current context of climate change and the growing scarcity of water resources underscore the importance of maintaining traditional rain-fed olive groves and preserving native cultivars, which are better adapted to and more resilient in the face of adverse environmental conditions. In this context, the sustainable development of the Trás-os-Montes olive grove depends, above all, on the adoption of differentiation strategies based on the quality, authenticity and diversity of the products. Innovation is also an essential factor in strengthening the sector’s competitiveness. The promotion of traditional, little-known cultivars, associated with products possessing unique flavour and aroma characteristics, enables the region’s olive products to stand out and be valued. In the case of olive oils, recent studies (Rodrigues et al., 2019, 2020) show that olive oils extracted from olives grown on century-old olive trees of rare cultivars have distinct physico-chemical compositions and sensory profiles, revealing aromatic notes such as apricot, green cherry, broccoli, pineapple or kiwi. these oils, which are particularly rich in oleic acid (Rocha et al., 2020), also contain significant amounts of vitamin E (α-tocopherol) and compounds with significant biological activity. The utilisation of these compounds has been gaining in importance, driving the development of new food products. This paper provides a brief overview of the ongoing research projects at the Mountain Research Centre of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, which aim to investigate, characterise and enhance the value of olive oils and table olives produced in northern Portugal, thereby contributing to the preservation of their identity and the promotion of the regions from which they originate. 2. Characterisation of the regional olivegrowing heritage The regional olive-growing heritage, consisting largely of centuries-old olive trees, represents an important endogenous resource with high potential for promoting rural development in the Trás-osMontes region (Figure 1). The preservation of these trees contributes to the conservation of agricultural These characteristics contribute to the authenticity, quality and distinctiveness of the ‘Azeite de Trás-os-Montes’, making it more attractive to consumers and specialist markets. This kind of work is also beginning to be applied to table olives. Most table olives are a fermented product of high nutritional importance in Mediterranean countries and are considered one of the oldest fermented foods (Perpetuini et al., 2020). In addition to standing out for their lipid profile, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, Figure 1 – Panoramic view of traditionalolive groves in the Trás-os-Mon tes region, highlighting the importance of the olive tree in the agricultural landscape and rural heritage of the region
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