News release ClimatePartner Olive Oil 2010

ClimatePartner calculates carbon footprint on Greek extra virgin olive oil for Messinia UNION

The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Messinia Prefecture (Messinia UNION) participated in a pilot study in which the climate consultancy ClimatePartner and its Greek associated company GLOBAL CHALLENGES, calculated the carbon footprint on one liter of Greek EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the greenhouse gas emissions generated during olive grove cultivation, olive oil production, bottling and delivery and moreover to identify areas where emissions reduction can be made.

The olives used to produce the oil originate from the olive groves of 1800 farmers from Messinia, all of whom are members of the cooperative Messinia UNION, following the “integrated agricultural management methods”. The oil is transferred from eight different oil pressing facilities affiliated to  Messinia UNION  to the cooperative’s central bottling plant. From there, the olive oil is transported mainly to Athens, Munich and Moscow in PET,  glass bottles and tin containters .

Messinia UNION provided data from the entire year  2009, which could then be used as the basis for calculating the PCF, or product carbon footprint. On average, 1,670g of CO2 were generated per liter of bottled and packaged olive oil for international delivery (ca. 2,500km overland on a semi) and 1,173g of CO2 for national delivery (ca. 300km overland on a semi).

The calcucation methodology was based amongst other on the international EPD?system, “product category rules for the virgin olive oils”  thus the outcome is depicting the state of the art regarding product carbon foot printing for this particular field.

“This is the first climate neutral extra virgin olive oil produced by a cooperative, worldwide and Messinia Union is proud of introducing this product to the end consumer” stated Mr Kostas Liris, agronomist and director of the primary production division of Messinia Union. 

ClimatePartner is highly delighted by their collaboration with Messinia UNION and the results from the pilot study: “We see this study as being an important step in contributing to unifying international methods of PCF calculation” said George Kazantzopoulos of ClimatePartner Greece/GLOBAL CHALLENGES and a member of the International Olympic Committee’s environment commission.

 

 

Press contact:

 

ClimatePartner GmbH

Belinda Burgmeier, Senior Manager Operations

Ainmillerstrasse 22, D-80801 Munich

T +49 89 1222875-11

F +49 89 1222875-29

bburgmeier@climatepartner.com

www.climatepartner.com

 

 

 

About ClimatePartner

Founded in 2006 and headquarted in Munich, this climate protection consultancy has associated companies in Italy, Greece, Austria and the USA. They have 30 employees working on individual climate protection solutions for over 400 customers from all over the world, more than 50 of which come from the food and beverage industry.