The Olive Pomace Conundrum: Unveiling the Most Sustainable Path for Byproduct Utilization
In the realm of sustainable agriculture and food production, the olive oil sector stands out as a compelling example of circular economy principles applied to industrial byproduct management. Each harvesting season yields vast quantities of olive pomace—locally known as alperujo—a fibrous and moist residue generated during olive oil extraction. This byproduct represents both a challenge and an opportunity for mills aiming to align with sustainability agendas. Recent research conducted by a team from the University of Córdoba (UCO) offers a comprehensive evaluation of how olive pomace can be valorized most sustainably, weaving together environmental, economic, and social considerations into a singular analytical framework.
Historically, olive mills have grappled with the pressing need to repurpose or dispose of large volumes of alperujo without inflicting ecological harm. Over time, the sector has evolved beyond pollution avoidance toward innovative circular economy strategies. Presently, three main industrial-scale alternatives dominate the recovery and repurposing landscape: extraction of olive pomace oil, composting of byproducts, and gasification technologies. Each offers distinct advantages and limitations, not only in ecological footprint but also concerning economic viability and social impact.
Olive pomace oil extraction, one of the most entrenched methodologies, involves the secondary extraction of oil from residual pomace. This oil finds significant application as a cooking medium, especially in professional kitchen environments. The residual biomass from this process subsequently serves as feedstock for renewable energy generation. Economic attractiveness underpins this method’s popularity—it generally imposes minimal upfront investment requirements and entails comparatively low operational risks for mills. However, questions linger over its comprehensive sustainability profile, demanding a multidimensional assessment approach.
Composting represents a biologically grounded alternative, transforming olive pomace byproducts into nutrient-rich organic fertilizers. This method aligns well with circular agroecological paradigms, returning valuable organic matter to the soil and enhancing agricultural productivity sustainably. While composting positively influences rural employment and soil health, its economic returns are relatively modest, and scalability issues may arise depending on local demand and infrastructure constraints.
Lastly, gasification technology harnesses thermal conversion processes to produce renewable energy and biochar from olive pomace. Biochar’s soil amendment benefits include enhanced soil quality improvement and carbon sequestration, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. Gasification emerges as a modern, potentially transformative solution with robust environmental and social benefits; however, it necessitates technological investments and may encounter economic uncertainties linked to fluctuating energy markets.
To dissect the intricacies of these alternatives, the UCO research group—comprised of David Polonio, Rubén Granado, José A. Gómez-Limón, and Anastasio J. Villanueva—devised an innovative methodology that integrates life cycle assessment, economic indicators, and social metrics. This composite approach transcends traditional siloed analyses by incorporating indicators such as investment costs, profitability, risk exposure, employment generation, job quality, and seasonality. Moreover, the model intelligently embeds uncertainty parameters, acknowledging dynamic market variables, such as energy price volatility, which critically influence outcome favorability.
Life cycle analysis (LCA) within this methodology evaluates the environmental ramifications of each valorization route, encompassing upstream resource use, emissions, and waste outputs. Economic evaluation hinges on capital expenditure requirements, operational cost efficiency, and risk-adjusted profitability metrics tailored to the agile olive sector context. The social dimension examines job creation metrics, emphasizing the quality and stability of employment opportunities linked to each alternative, a crucial factor for regions reliant on agricultural labor.
The culmination of this integrated assessment yields a global sustainability index, positioning olive pomace oil extraction as the leading current method in terms of composite score. This finding corroborates sectoral practices, evidencing alignment between sustainability imperatives and existing industrial behavior. Economically, the extraction process’s minimal capital demands and established market channels underscore its widespread adoption. Nevertheless, the gasification pathway addresses critical environmental and societal gaps, such as emission abatement and creation of higher quality, possibly more permanent job roles, edging close behind extraction when all criteria are aggregated.
Composting, while trailing in the overall rankings, remains an indispensable component of the sustainable matrix, notably enhancing rural livelihoods and soil ecosystem functions. Yet, its economic attractiveness faces headwinds without concerted policy support or market expansion for organic fertilizers. These nuanced insights emphasize that no singular solution emerges as categorically superior across every parameter, hinting that polymorphic strategies tailored to local conditions may yield optimal outcomes.
Geographic and logistical variables further complicate the decision matrix. Mills located in remote areas distant from centralized pomace oil extraction facilities confront disproportionately elevated transport costs, diminishing economic feasibility and favoring decentralized alternatives like gasification or composting. Such spatial considerations reinforce the imperative for flexible, context-sensitive strategic planning embedded within regional sustainability frameworks.
Crucially, the research underscores that environmental and social benefits often do not parallel private economic incentives. This misalignment necessitates proactive policy interventions designed to bridge the gap, including targeted incentives, investment grants, and financial instruments attuned to externalized social and ecological values. Recognition mechanisms that attribute tangible economic worth to societal and environmental contributions could catalyze broader adoption of greener, socially responsible technologies.
Understanding the olive pomace valorization challenge as a spectrum rather than an either-or dilemma fosters openness to multilayered sustainable pathways. Given that marginal fluctuations—like energy price shifts or policy recalibrations—can substantially alter relative desirabilities, continuous monitoring and adaptive management emerge as paramount. Research presents the olive oil industry not only as a sector responding innovatively to its byproduct challenges but also as a dynamic model for circular strategies in agri-food industries worldwide.
Ultimately, this comprehensive study contributes critical methodological advancements and actionable intelligence, positioning the olive oil sector at the vanguard of sustainable industrial byproduct management. Through harmonizing environmental stewardship, economic sustainability, and social well-being, olive mills can continue progressing along the green transition trajectory while fostering resilient rural economies and mitigating ecological pressures.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Sustainability Assessment of Circular Strategies in the Agri-Food Industry: The Case of Olive Mills’ By-Product Valorization
News Publication Date: 30-Nov-2025
Web References:
https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70371
References:
Polonio, D., Granado-Díaz, R., Gómez-Limón, J. A., & Villanueva, A. J. (2025). Sustainability Assessment of Circular Strategies in the Agri-Food Industry: The Case of Olive Mills’ By-Product Valorization. Business Strategy and the Environment, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70371
Keywords: Olive oil, olive pomace, circular economy, sustainability assessment, life cycle analysis, composting, gasification, renewable energy, biochar, agri-food industry, organic fertilizer
