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Researchers from AgroecoliveLab actively participated in the programme of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, organised by the University of Jaén and held on February 17, 2026. The initiative included a wide range of workshops and science outreach activities aimed at students from different educational levels.

During the workshop “Why Is Soil ‘Happier’ When It Has Plants and Earthworms?”, we explained to students from CEIP San Marcos (Garciez) the importance of vegetation cover in protecting soil from erosion, improving its structure, and enhancing biodiversity. We also explored the fundamental role of earthworms — true soil engineers — in improving soil fertility and recycling nutrients through composting processes.

It was an enriching experience that demonstrates how fostering scientific curiosity from an early age is key to building a more sustainable future.

Students from the Master’s Degree in Agroecology: A Sustainable Transformation Approach to Agri-Food Systems at the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía (UNIA) recently took part in a field visit aimed at strengthening their practical understanding of agroecological principles applied to olive production systems.

The visit was led by Roberto García, Principal Investigator of AgroecoliveLab and Professor at the University of Jaén, and included a tour of an organic olive grove located between Pegalajar and Mancha Real (Jaén), as well as a local olive oil mill. During the activity, students were able to engage directly with the farm owner and discuss key aspects such as nutrient inputs, energy flows and biodiversity-based management practices, including the use of livestock for weed control and soil fertilisation.

Participants were also introduced to the “Olivares Vivos” programme, an enhanced sustainability certification that integrates biodiversity conservation criteria alongside organic production standards. This hands-on experience allowed students to connect theoretical concepts — such as agroecosystem structure, nutrient cycling and ecological management — with real-world practices.

The field visit forms part of the master’s educational approach, which combines academic training with practical experiences to prepare future researchers and professionals committed to the development of sustainable agroecological systems.

For years there has been debate over whether Mediterranean agriculture can shift from being part of the climate problem to becoming part of the solution. In this work, AgroecoliveLab explores to what extent olive grove management can sway the carbon balance one way or the other.

The study evaluated 16 olive farms in Andalusia by combining measurements of emissions and carbon accumulation in both soil and woody biomass to estimate the annual net carbon footprint at the farm scale.

Key results:

• Farms with higher inputs of organic carbon showed clearly more favorable carbon balances, even behaving as net CO₂ sinks.
• Carbon sequestration in soil and biomass can fully or partially offset the emissions associated with farm management.
• Fuel consumption, nitrogen fertilisation and irrigation remain the main sources of emissions and therefore key points for action.

A central idea: The tree itself has a limited capacity to accumulate carbon; it is soil management that ultimately determines whether an olive grove acts as a sink or not. When poor soil management is combined with high intensities of fertilisation, irrigation and machinery use, the balance clearly shifts toward emissions. Identifying which management decisions truly matter is key to designing realistic, measurable and field-applicable carbon farming strategies.

The NUTRIOLIVAR project, developed by AgroecoliveLab and co-funded by FEDER, makes available to the public a free, easy-to-use calculator, available in English and Spanish, that allows users to estimate the nutrient balance in olive groves.

This tool has been designed to support farmers, technicians and land managers in understanding nutrient inputs and outputs within their olive groves, helping to improve fertilization management decisions and promote a more efficient use of resources.

The nutrient balance calculator contributes to a more sustainable and rational fertilization strategy, supporting olive productivity while reducing environmental impacts.Would you like to know whether fertilization in your olive grove is adjusted to its real needs?
Try the calculator and find out for yourself:

Click Here!

Science communication has been completely transformed over the past decade: new channels, new formats, and new ways in which the public engages with scientific content.
And yet, many research groups still communicate as if Instagram did not exist, as if videos did not matter, and as if civil society were a secondary audience—despite the fact that it is often the main beneficiary of scientific findings… and also, directly or indirectly, their funder.

In this article, we reflect on the urgency of breaking away from this inertia. Connecting science and society is not a “nice extra” or something to be done only when there is spare time; it is a cross-cutting priority for any researcher who wants their work to have real impact.

And we are not speaking from theory—we are speaking from experience.

Access the article HERE

The first results of the GO OLIVE CARBON BALANCE Operational Group confirm that Andalusian olive groves act as an important carbon sink. In model farms such as Luque Ecológico, Cortijo El Puerto (Lora del Río) and Colival Valdepeñas, researchers have quantified the amount of CO₂ removed each year from the atmosphere and stored in the permanent biomass of olive trees (trunks, branches and roots).

The study, carried out by the Spanish Association of Olive-Growing Municipalities (AEMO), AgroecoliveLab and the Functional Unit of Ecology of INUO (University of Jaén), shows that all types of olive groves capture CO₂ effectively. The highest sequestration rates were observed in high-density hedge olive groves (>800 trees/ha), where values above 6 t CO₂ per hectare per year were recorded in some cases. Medium- and low-density olive groves showed sequestration rates ranging from 0.8 to 1.8 t CO₂/ha·year.

The amounts of CO₂ captured are similar to or even higher than the emissions associated with field operations, meaning that olive groves can be climate-neutral or even achieve a positive carbon balance, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation. Funded by AEI-Agri (PEPAC) under the framework of supra-regional agricultural innovation, the project reinforces the role of olive groves as a key green infrastructure in the fight against global warming.

More information:
https://olivecarbonbalance.ecovalia.org/captura-carbono-olivares-andaluces/

Starting this week, we are launching the multilingual information campaign “The Olive Grove in Figures.” With the help of our avatar Picualín, we will be sharing interesting and surprising facts about the socioeconomic and environmental impact of olive groves in olive-oil-producing countries, with special attention to Spain.

We invite you to follow Picualín’s informative updates on our social media channels. Don’t miss it!

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At AgroecoliveLab, we are committed to making the most of the multiple dimensions of the olive grove.

Olive groves are entering a crucial moment in which their competitiveness and sustainability depend on harnessing all their functions, far beyond oil production alone. Changing consumer habits, now more focused on foods with added value, are opening new opportunities for the sector. In this context, olive groves also gain prominence for their role as carbon sinks, enabling the generation of carbon credits that provide complementary income for farmers. At the same time, oleotourism is emerging strongly as a way to diversify rural economies.

Given these trends, overlooking the multifunctional nature of olive groves no longer seems like a sound business decision. What do you think?