By investing in research and innovation, particularly in olive oil waste recovery, Tunisia is reaffirming its ambition to turn a traditional industry into a driver of sustainable and competitive growth.
The North African country has joined the Euro-Mediterranean OLIWA project, funded by the European Union, which seeks to convert by-products from olive oil production into high value-added products.
Coordinated by the University of Turin, the initiative brings together six Mediterranean countries — Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Algeria and Tunisia — and involves 25 institutional and technological partners.
The project aims to move from a linear model that generates large volumes of waste to a circular economy. Olive by-products such as olive mill wastewater (margins) and other residues — traditionally considered polluting and hard to process — will be reused in innovative sectors. Planned applications include animal feed through insect farming using olive residues, feed flour production, extraction of natural components for food additives, eco-friendly packaging materials, and biogas generation from combined agricultural waste.
AIMPLAS, a Spanish technological institute specialising in polymer materials, is among the project’s key partners. The program aims to reduce food waste by 25% and strengthen sustainable value chains across the Mediterranean.
For Tunisia, the world’s leading exporter of organic olive oil, the initiative carries strategic importance. It addresses the environmental challenges posed by olive industry waste while opening up new economic opportunities in green and innovative sectors. By focusing on research and innovation, the country seeks to transform its traditional olive oil sector into a pillar of sustainable development and competitiveness.
MK/sf/lb/as/APA