Turning olive pits into energy
After you’ve enjoyed a tangy olive, don’t throw away the pit – it could soon be providing a clean, green answer to heat and electricity production, thanks to technology developed by Israeli start-up Genova, now setting up its first pilot plant.
The company, which was founded in September 2004, is headquartered in the northern town of Karmiel. The drive takes you up through a lush, verdant landscape, a fitting introduction to Genova’s environmental philosophy of “waste not, want not.” Biomass – organic waste – is generated as a by-product of many types of industry worldwide, such as forestry, and crop and livestock farming. The biomass is generally transported at great cost to a landfill to rot, or it is burned; both rotting and burning create methane, a greenhouse gas which plays a major role in global warming. However, if harnessed properly, methane can be a very valuable source of energy.
With increasing concern over the supply of fossil fuels for electricity generation, as well as the environmental implications of burning coal and oil, why not do something useful with biomass, thought Dr Yuri Wladislawsky, an engineer and the founder of the company, who emigrated to Israel from Tblisi, Georgia, in 1996.
Wladislawsky decided to focus first on the biomass produced from the olive presses that are a feature of the Middle Eastern landscape, “because olive waste is difficult waste to process because of the pits,” explains Yonat Grant, an industrial engineer who is the CEO of the company, which has two other employees as well as Wladislawsky and was set up within the Misgav Technology Center incubator, where it will stay for another year. If the company can succeed with olive waste, she says, then any other biomass will be simple in comparison.
Posted in Ecology | Environment, Middle East by: Olives101
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Pakistani Governement has planned to enhance olive oil production
The Federal Government has planned to enhance olive oil production and processing areas in 12 district of Balochistan to bring 6000 acres of land for the cultivation of olive orchard.
According to the ministry of food and agriculture sources during the five years, 675000 plants in these districts which are considered as low delta crop for mass propagation of olive oil, would be planted.
The sources said that to standardize the propagation and cultivation techniques for mass production of olive plants nurseries would be developed during the period.
The officials said that about 6000 acres or equivalent number of trees will be developed as orchards on farmers’ field during the project period.
They said that the research wing of Agriculture Department has given a serious consideration to the problem of the drought in the region searching all possible solutions to overcome the crisis pertaining to the water deficiency for all kinds of crops particularly the olive orchard.
The sources said that the fresh and positive experience on Olive (plea europea L.) cultivation in some selected location of the region performed mainly in the horticulture Fruit Experimental Station Baghbana (Khuzdar), Fruit Experimental Station Loralai and Fruit Development center Quetta, Pishin, Mastung, Kalat, Kharan, Noshki, Barkhan, Musakhail, Zhob, Sibi (Harnai) has given good indication for the promotion of this one of the crop. They added that this fact is the most suitable orchards in these areas.
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Posted in Asia, Cashmere | Around, Olive Oil by: Olives101
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Four Sisters win top NZ Olive Oil Award
Four Sisters is thrilled to announce that their first time entry took out the top Olives New Zealand award, “Best in show” for 2007. These awards were presented at the annual Olives New Zealand dinner held in Wellington on Saturday 22 September.
4 Sisters winning olive oil came from the Single Varietal Class and was composed of fruit from the Tuscan variety of Frantoio Olives harvested in June 2007.
Four Sisters is produced by the husband and wife team of Andreas Paxie and Patricia Bolger. Mr Paxie and Ms Bolger live on their 17 acre grove in Otaki with their four daughters; Olivia, Josephine, Eleanor and Genevieve, who are the inspiration behind their oil’s brand. They purchased their grove in March 2007 and this oil was from their first harvest. Their olive grove consists of 2100 trees of five main varieties. The original olive grove was established in 1999 by Chris and Alastair Bridge.
Mr Paxie says, “As newcomers to this industry, we are stunned by this award. It would not have been possible without the generous help and support we have received from within the industry and from our friends and family.”
“Our grove is a family business and our four daughters love that we have named our olive oil in honour of them.”
“This award has inspired us to continue making quality Olive Oil from a country regarded by international olive judges as producing amongst the best quality olive oil in the world.”
Posted in Australia | NZ, Olive Oil by: Olives101
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Torres y Ribelles, a Spanish Olive Oil Producer
Presentation of Torres y Ribelles, one of the oldest Olive oil company in Spain
Posted in Europe | U.K, Olive Oil by: Olives101
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Israeli firms eye olive farming in Maharashtra, India
Israeli businessmen see Maharashtra as a destination for olive farming and want nearly 2,000 hectares of wasteland for starting up olive farming in the Maharashtra.
A delegation of businessmen led by Israeli consul general (commercial) Daniel Zohar Zoshine met state revenue minister Narayan Rane and made a request to provide nearly 2,000 hectares of wasteland to Israeli firms.
Speaking to reporters here, Rane said, “Israeli companies see climatic conditions in India especially in Maharashtra favo-urable for olive farming. Olive oil is used for cooking in the Western and West Asian countries.”
They have shown a willingness to enter into a revenue-sharing arrange-ment with the state government for the purpose. We have asked them to submit formal proposal in this regard, he said.
Besides this a delegation of some European companies also met Rane who want land in Maharashtra for potato farming.
They will be using this potatoes for producing film from potato starch which is alternative to polythene films which are used in as a packaging material.
The film produced from potatoes are biodegradable.These companies also have been asked to give a formal proposal, the minister said.
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Posted in Business, Cashmere | Around, Middle East by: Olives101
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