Abstract
The Italian extra virgin olive oil supply chain has considerable potential for embarking on a path of sustainable development and evolution. In Italy, the great variety heritage and the different pedo-climatic characteristics result in local olive growing systems with different management techniques, producing extra virgin olive oils that are strictly entwined to the territory, with peculiar qualitative properties. Nevertheless, numerous criticalities have been traditionally eroding the competitiveness of Italian olive growing that could find in sustainability certifications, a lasting driver of value creation. Shared standardizations and certifications that include the three pillars of sustainability are therefore necessary for the development of the process.
Highlights
The need to address at the intergovernmental level the issue of how to achieve a stable economic growth that was at the same time environmentally sustainable dates back to the late 1960s, with the UNESCO’s “Biosphere Conference” and the “Conference on the Ecological Aspects of International Development”, both held in 1968 [1]
We present an analysis of: i) the environmental hotspots in the sustainability certification process for the olive oil sector; ii) strengths and weaknesses of the Italian oliviculture and how a certified system of sustainability could induce a lasting economic and social development; iii) the sustainability certifications implemented in Italy in the olive oil sector
Blue water: the global surface and underground water intended for agricultural, domestic, and industrial use; Green water: the volume of rainwater that does not contribute to surface runoff and mainly refers to the water used by crops to grow; Grey water: the volume of polluted water generated during a production process, it represents the volume of fresh water needed to dilute the pollutants till the natural concentrations of the water quality standards [27]
Summary
Standardization and conformity assessment of voluntary environmental declarations are focal points for the creation of a framework for sustainability labeling, which includes the nutritional, climatic, environmental, social, and economic aspects of food products This might be true in the case of olive oil, where the nutritional value, the link with the territory, the environmental and social responsibility are an added value and a marketing tool to both attract and protect consumers. Several scientific studies related to the environmental performance of the olive oil sector based on the LCA methodology have been performed following a from “cradle to grave” approach, or, more often, a “cradle to farm gate” study This because the agricultural phase is generally identified in the scientific literature as the most impactful, because of fertilization, pesticides, and water management, whereas waste management represents a further crucial hotspot. Their evaluation is based on the LCA methodology, and they have been calculated through different methods, they are regulated by international standards
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