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The extraction of olive pomace oil is cited as the most sustainable alternative for the recovery of the olive oil industry’s byproducts, according to a methodology developed by the UCO that considers economic, environmental and social indicators. The olive oil industry is a good example of how to tackle the challenges of sustainability in the agri-food sector. Each olive campaign generates tons of alperujo, the main byproduct of the extraction of olive oil, a derivative that must be managed. For decades, mills have been on the circular economy path, establishing different ways of exploiting olive pomace that go beyond just avoiding po…
Credit: SHVETS production from Pexels
The extraction of olive pomace oil is cited as the most sustainable alternative for the recovery of the olive oil industry’s byproducts, according to a methodology developed by the UCO that considers economic, environmental and social indicators. The olive oil industry is a good example of how to tackle the challenges of sustainability in the agri-food sector. Each olive campaign generates tons of alperujo, the main byproduct of the extraction of olive oil, a derivative that must be managed. For decades, mills have been on the circular economy path, establishing different ways of exploiting olive pomace that go beyond just avoiding pollution.
The three main alternatives for the recovery of this byproduct employed by mills today at the industrial level are: the extraction of olive pomace oil, which is used for cooking, mainly in the hospitality industry, and which, in turn generates, a byproduct, pomace, used to produce energy; composting, which produces organic fertilizer; and gasification, a technology that allows for the production of renewable energy and biochar, a material useful to improve soil quality and retain carbon.
Which of the three options is the most sustainable? That is the question that researchers David Polonio, Rubén Granado, José A. Gómez-Limón and Anastasio J. Villanueva, members of the WEARE research group at the University of Córdoba, are trying to answer. The study is published in the journal Business Strategy and the Environment.
The analysis is not limited to the environmental aspect, as one of the main contributions of this work is a methodology that jointly evaluates the environmental, economic and social effects of each alternative, "thus answering the sector’s question about which is the most sustainable technology that can be chosen at a mill to implement it," said Gómez-Limón.
"The methodology we have developed includes life cycle analysis to evaluate the environmental aspect; economic indicators related to the necessary investment, economic risk, and the profitability of each alternative; and indicators showing the social importance of each one, associated with the generation of employment, its quality and seasonality," explained David Polonio.
It is important, Anastasio Villanueva pointed out: "to introduce uncertainty: through statistical techniques, the probability of changes in the electricity market is introduced, for example, which affects the profitability of one or the other option depending on the campaign."
Applying this three-pronged methodology, a composite indicator of global sustainability is produced. Using this methodology, the most sustainable option currently is the extraction of olive pomace oil, which is also the most widely implemented in the sector. For mills, this alternative is the most attractive from an economic point of view, as it does not require investment, and entails fewer risks.
However, when other factors of environmental and social interest are taken into account, such as reduced emissions, or the creation of higher-quality jobs, alternatives such as gasification offer clear advantages, closely following extraction in the global calculation. Composting, the third in this ranking, stands out for its contribution to rural employment and its benefits for agricultural soil, although its economic profitability is currently more limited.
One of the conclusions, according to Gómez-Limón, "is that the sector has been doing well for a long time because the most sustainable method is the one most widely implemented today."
It’s not an either-or question
Another conclusion is that the overall differences between the alternatives are not very great. This means that small changes (in energy prices, in the demand for organic fertilizers, or in public policies, for example) can tip the scales toward more beneficial options for society as a whole. The particular situation of each mill must also be taken into account: those that are far away from the pomace extraction plants must assume significant transport costs, so the option of gasification is more profitable.
As the work shows, the alternatives with the greatest environmental and social benefits are not always the most profitable for private companies. Therefore, the authors point to the importance of designing public policies that incentivize the most environmentally and employment-friendly options, whether through investment aid, financial instruments, or mechanisms that recognize the social and environmental value generated.
More information
David Polonio et al, Sustainability Assessment of Circular Strategies in the Agri‐Food Industry: The Case of Olive Mills’ By‐Product Valorization, Business Strategy and the Environment (2025). DOI: 10.1002/bse.70371
Citation: The possible applications of olive pomace: A study reveals the most sustainable option (2026, February 3) retrieved 3 February 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-02-applications-olive-pomace-reveals-sustainable.html
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