With the awarding of prizes to the winners of the two Competitions “OLIVE OIL TROPHY” and “TABLE OLIVES TROPHY”, with important news and information on competition, innovation and extroversion in the olive sector and the decision to establish a forum of the olive sector, the OLIVE TROPHIES 2022 have been completed, the result of the cooperation of TIF – HELEXPO with the Club of Friends of Olive Oil & Olives FILAIOS. The event took place yesterday, Sunday, April 3, within the framework of the 30th DETROP BOUTIQUE International Food and Beverage Exhibition.
The event was honored with their presence: the Deputy Minister of the Interior (Macedonia – Thrace), Stavros Kalafatis, the President of GSEVEE, Giorgos Kavvathas, the Deputy Regional Governors of Peloponnese, Stathis Anastasopoulos, Central Macedonia Sotiris Batos, Anat. Macedonia – Thrace Vassilis Delistamatis, Thessaly Apostolos Bilis and North Aegean Panagos Koufelos, the President of the Agri-Food Partnership Ken. Kostas Kiltidis of Macedonia, representatives of organizations and businessmen of the olive growing sector.
The Deputy Minister of the Interior, Stavros Kalafatis, congratulated the administration of TIF and FILIOS for the initiative and pointed out that international markets will be conquered with extroversion, especially in the primary sector, where our country has a clear comparative advantage.
The President of TIF – HELEXPO Anastasios Tzikas announced the evolution of the OLIVE TROPHIES into an Olympiad of actions, in order for olive products to be highlighted worldwide and to lead our national products to their final destination, which is the table of the consumer all over the world.
The President of FILAIOS Grigoris Antoniadis emphasized that the joint initiative and the perfect cooperation with TIF – HELEXPO, as well as the ambitious start, give the possibility for the immediate evolution of the OLIVE TROPHIES into an Olympiad, while they will lead to the internationalization and the much-desired extroversion of the olive farms products.
The President of GSEVEE, Giorgos Kavvathas, underlined that olive oil and table olives are looking for the vehicle that will lead them to development and the initiative of TIF – HELEXPO and FILAIOS constitutes this vehicle, alongside the support from the State, the Regions and the Local Government.
“Competition, innovation and extroversion in the olive sector” was the theme of the first part of the event, in which distinguished speakers from the olive sector participated.
“The competitiveness of the olive sector is now intertwined with the pressing need to reform it,” said the first speaker, President of FILAIOS, Mr. Gr. Antoniadis. “The new demand”, he emphasized, “is economies of scale in the sector, through mergers and acquisitions, but also suppression of side trade, attracting high-level and skilled executives, attracting foreign investment and implementing promotion programs with duration and targeting”.
The concepts of sustainability and sustainability, as well as the global trend for demand and production of products, which are certified to follow sustainability rules, were mentioned by Mr. Angelos Mochloulis, Managing Partner & Founder KYBEA – Center for Sustainable Business Development Services. He also noted the influence these modern trends will have in the field of olives and olive oil and the steps that should be taken so that the sector can successfully respond to these needs.
Dr. Alexandros Papachatzis, Professor of Arboriculture at the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Technology of the University of Thessaly. In the 4 years 2018-2022 the reduction of olive groves will reach 5.31%, while in the 4 years 2012-2017 the reduction amounted to 4.9% Large areas in Greece have been abandoned, Mr. Papachatzis emphasized, due to a fragmented lot, lack of labor force , a large number of abandoned public lands, ecclesiastical and monastic estates and land cooperatives under liquidation. As one of the appropriate solutions, Mr. Papachatzis proposed the investment funds, which invest in the agri-food sector, with the method of Purchased Agriculture. A similar move was made in collaboration with the HORTlab laboratory (Laboratory of Arboretum and Soil Resources of the University of Thessaly), which develops precision agriculture.
Agronomist and Panel Leader Dr. presented the table olive organoleptic evaluation method approved by the International Olive Council. Konstantinos Tertivanidis. “The evaluation of the table olive” underlined that “it will lead to the upgrading of production and the further promotion of the product.”
