82 CULTIVAR ANALYSIS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDIES No. 35 Olive groves and olive oil produced in Portugal, and the sensory diversity of the region. Certification should be seen as a tool for differentiation and for building trust. The Olive Oil Sustainability Programme (PSA), developed by Olivum with technical and scientific support from the University of Évora, comprises 98 criteria organised into 26 chapters and enables the assessment of the environmental, social, economic and cultural dimensions of production and processing, with the aim of promoting the sector’s sustainability, as well as the differentiation and enhancement of olive oil and the national olive-growing sector. This type of framework is particularly relevant for markets that value sustainable, healthy, traceable and responsibly produced food. 5. Sustainability across all olive grove systems The sector’s competitiveness depends on a balanced coexistence between different olive grove models. The modern olive grove, whether in vase or hedgerow, has brought productivity, mechanisation, efficiency, export scale and technological capacity. Traditional olive groves, in turn, preserve genetic, landscape, cultural and environmental heritage, ensuring services such as soil conservation, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, territorial cohesion and Mediterranean identity. Traditional olive groves face high harvesting costs, relatively low productivity, labour shortages, an ageing farming population, abandonment and pressure to convert to other uses. It is therefore essential to develop a Strategic Document for the Sustainability of Olive Groves, with targets, indicators, support measures and specific policies for each production context, including adapted mechanisation, the promotion of traditional varieties, payments for ecosystem services, PDOs, olive tourism and regional promotion. 6. Labour, mechanisation, artificial intelligence and efficiency Labour shortages are a widespread constraint, with a particular impact on harvesting and traditional olive groves. The solution lies in skills development, attracting young people, workplace safety, the professionalisation of operations and increased mechanisation. In modern olive groves, mechanisation is already a structural element of competitiveness; in traditional olive groves, it is important to develop solutions that are technically appropriate, economically viable and compatible with the preservation of the trees and the landscape. The next frontier will be the systematic integration of digital technologies. Sensors, remote sensing, predictive models, precision farming, robotics, automation and artificial intelligence will make it possible to improve production forecasts, optimise irrigation and fertilisation, anticipate plant health risks, reduce costs and document sustainable practices. This approach is in line with the objectives of the CAP 2023–2027, which include competitiveness, innovation, digitalisation, climate action, sustainable management of natural resources and strengthening farmers’ position in the value chain (European Commission, n.d.). 7. Circular economy: by-products as strategic assets The valorisation of by-products from olive groves and olive mills is one of the major opportunities for sustainability and economic efficiency. Olive srones, olive pomace, olive mill effluent, leaves, prunings and biomass can be channelled towards composting, organic fertilisation, biogas production, energy recovery, animal feed, the extraction of bioactive compounds or the development of biomaterials. The sector must shift from a waste management approach to one focused on resource recovery. The reclassification of olive stones as an energyrecoverable by-product was a significant step forward, but administrative barriers remain, particularly regarding the incorporation of olive pomace into composting. Olivum has argued that, as this is an exclusively mechanical extraction process, the agronomic and industrial utilisation of these waste streams should be promoted, creating low-carbon solutions, reducing costs and strengthening the circularity of the sector.
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