Carrasquenha Olive variety

• Alentejo
• Intensely fruity, slightly bitter

Circular economy in olive growing means minimising waste and closing as many material cycles as possible. Everything that is produced during cultivation and oil production (cuttings, pits, pomace, waste water, leaves) is reused as a resource – for soil, energy or new products. Smaller, artisanal businesses in particular often implement this approach very consistently.

Typical recycling practices:

• Shredding & mulching clippings
  → protects soil from drying out, provides humus
• Composting olive leaves
  → natural fertiliser
• Pomace compost (press residues)
  → returns potassium, phosphorus & organic matter
• Grazing with sheep/goats
  → grass management + natural fertiliser

Result: less artificial fertiliser, better soil structure and more soil life.

Use of by-products:

• Olive pomace → fertiliser, biomass, energy
• Olive pits → heating material
• Waste water → treated for irrigation
  
  Goal: zero-waste olive mill

Preservation of rural areas:

• Olive growing secures income in peripheral regions
• Prevents rural exodus
• Preserves knowledge and rituals

Packaging and logistics

Circular approaches:

• Glass instead of plastic
• Local bottling instead of long-distance transport

 

Cobrançosa (one of the most important olive varieties)

• Northern Portugal (Trás-os-Montes)
• Green and fruity, bitter, peppery
• Very high polyphenol content

Quality feature for excellent extra virgin olive oil: pressing takes place at below 27 °C in order to preserve aromas and nutrients.

Cordovil also refers to a group of olive varieties with regional types such as Cordovil de Castelo Branco, Cordovil de Serpa and Cordovil de Trás-os-Montes. They are among the most aromatic Portuguese olives.

• Green and fruity
• Medium-sized fruit
• Central Portugal (Castelo Branco), Alentejo, Northern Portugal

The olive pit protects the seed and has many uses in:

1. Fuel & Energy

• Pressed into olive pit pellets for heating systems
• Very good calorific value, low ash content
• A sustainable alternative to wood in olive-growing regions

2. Cosmetics

• Finely ground as a natural exfoliant (e.g. in soaps, scrubs)
• Removes dead skin without microplastics

3. Agriculture & Gardening

• Shredded as mulch or soil improver
• Sometimes also used as a component of compost (slowly degradable)

4. Industry & Technology

• Raw material for activated carbon (filters, water treatment)
• Filler in bioplastics or composite materials

5. Crafts & Design

• Jewellery, buttons, decorations (especially polished or carved)
• Traditional in some Mediterranean regions

6. Animal husbandry

• Ground as litter additive or feed additive (only processed, not raw)

The olive tree has been cultivated for over 6,000 years. It prefers a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters.