With a content-rich Final Event, the program “Open Olive Oil Academy – Messinia” comes to a close on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 18:00, at the facilities of the Agricultural Cooperative “Union of Messinia” (Thouria near Praktiker, E.O. Kalamata – Tripoli, Kalamata 24100).
The event marks the successful completion of the program, which was implemented with the goal of helping olive growers in Messinia adopt modern olive cultivation practices, in order to improve their production processes and enhance their competitiveness and extroversion.
The program was co-funded by New Agriculture New Generation, through the founding donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), as well as by the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, with the support of Bayer, BASF, and PJ Condelis S.A. and implemented in collaboration with the Union of Messinia. The program was held under the auspices of the Region of Peloponnese.
The event will be attended by representatives of local government and institutional bodies, representatives of New Agriculture New Generation and of the organizations and companies supporting the program, as well as participants of the program.
The event will feature two discussion panels:
First Discussion Panel: “Addressing Contaminants in Olive Cultivation”
Moderator: Dr. Dimitris Voloudakis – General Director of Programs, New Agriculture New Generation
Speakers:
– Ms. Nikoleta-Kleio Denaxa – Assistant Professor of Arboriculture – Olive Growing, Laboratory of Arboriculture, Agricultural University of Athens
– Mr. Konstantinos Dimopoulos – Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry & Food Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens & Member of the Scientific Committee of 4E (Scientific Society of Olive Encyclopedists)
– Mr. Ioannis Iliadis – President of the Pan-Messinian Association of Olive Mill Owners
Second Discussion Panel: “Challenges & Opportunities in the Olive Sector”
Moderator: Themis Kanellopoulos – Journalist, Best TV Kalamata
Speakers:
– Mr. Thanasis Langouranis – Agronomist, AUA, MSc, Head of the Unit for Monitoring Pillar I Interventions, Special Service for the Implementation of Direct Payments and Sectoral Interventions, General Secretariat for Union Resources and Infrastructure – Ministry of Rural Development & Food
– Mr. Giorgos Katsoulis – President, Association of Agricultural and Cooperative Organizations and Enterprises of Greece (SASOEE)
– Mr. Kostas Peimanidis – Director of Business Development at AGROVIM S.A. & Member of the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA)
A presentation on the Olive Register will follow, delivered by Ms. Efstathia Georgakopoulou – Head of the Department of Rural Economy & Veterinary Services of Messinia.
The event will conclude with a brief presentation of the results and key findings that emerged from the completion of the program.
We invite all olive growers, stakeholders, and friends of olive cultivation to attend the event and share with us the outcomes and future prospects of the program.
The Program
Throughout the program, participants completed 54 hours of training across six two-day sessions, conducted in person in Kalamata.
The first cycle (June 20 – July 5, 2025) focused on topics such as olive grove establishment and preparation, olive physiology, cultivation practices, and plant protection in the context of climate change.
The second cycle (September 5 – October 11, 2025) covered economic concepts, soil management, new trends and certification systems, olive oil quality and processing, tasting, agritourism, and the development of visitable olive groves.
Through the program, olive growers gained comprehensive knowledge of modern practices, enhancing the productivity, quality, and competitiveness of their products.
The “Open Olive Oil Academy” by New Agriculture New Generation addresses a crucial sector of the Greek agricultural economy and makes a significant contribution to improving its performance and competitiveness. This is the second successful implementation of the program, following the previous one in North Kynouria. The organization aims to extend the program to other regions of Greece in the future.
