Author: Catarina Gomes (Instituto Politécnico de Bragança) Annually, a huge amount of leaves is generated and discarded away as a by-product of the olive oil production. Since, olive leaves are very rich in bioactive compounds, their extraction and isolation could generate added value products useful in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical
Over the coming decades, the growing global population will need a safe and secure food supply. Climate change will have an impact on primary production systems, such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture. Thus, a transition towards an optimal use of renewable biological resources is essential. Europe must move towards sustainable primary production and processing
Usually, the following are listed as marketable olive tree products: Olive oil. Table olives. Cosmetics made with Olive Oil Biomass fuels derived from the cultivation of olive groves or from the manufacture of oil. Olive wood crafts. The olive leaf - which is produced in large quantities during the pruning and harvesting of the olive
The harvesting of olives to make olive oil can take up to 5 months in both hemispheres, depending on the variety, weather, maturation, quality of the juice, etc. Harvesting methods vary from area to area and greatly affect quality. In Europe, autumn is the time of year in which the fruit is in optimal condition
Olive leaf multi-product cascade based biorefinery: from an under-used biomass in the primary sector to tailormade solutions for high added value international market applications
This project has received funding from the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement nº 101023256
