Greece is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of olive oil. It accounts for 14% of the EU’s total production and stands as the EU’s highest consumption per capita. Knowing this, we decided that investing in the production of olive oil would allow Astydama to move into a traditional agricultural sector – and implement our vision of sustainable development.
That’s why, along with other private investors, we established the Kadmus Olive Oil company. Together, we collectively acquired an old olive mill situated in the Xironomi area of Thiva (Thebes) with the aim of reinvigorating the local olive oil industry. We named the olive mill Kadmus after the legendary Phoenician founder of Thebes, as we wanted to reflect the historical significance of the local area as well as our own Greek and Middle Eastern heritage.
The Kadmus Olive Mill dates back to 1973 and is one of the only surviving olive mills in the area. As it stands now, the olive mill is dilapidated and disused. This has meant that local farmers have had to send their olives to be pressed elsewhere, raising their transportation and production costs.
True to our belief that sustainable development can positively impact the local community, we will be reconstructing the Kadmus Olive Mill as a modern zero-waste facility, producing high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). This means that we will be generating local jobs and encouraging farmers to press their olives locally instead, thereby cutting their transport costs and bolstering the resilience of the local agricultural economy.
In terms of production, the olive oil industry in Greece relies on very traditional methods and small-scale facilities. We feel there is a lot of potential to modernize the production of olive oil while keeping its quality yet ensuring efficiency, economies of scale and above all, reducing waste.
Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) is the main waste product when producing olive oil. It is an environmental problem in olive oil producing countries, as the OMW is often uncontrollably disposed of in the surrounding environment.
We plan on tackling the problem of OMW by using advanced technology and techniques to manage, detoxify and valorize the waste product. We will also be investing in equipment to treat the OMW and re-use the water generated as part of soil remediation. Additionally, the olive pips that we will extract during the process will be sold as a fuel by-product. The pomace generated through the extraction process will be upcycled for
re-use in other olive-based goods such as soaps and cosmetics.
We are also looking into using intelligent agricultural management systems and smart farming technology to manage the olive groves of our producers in order to maximize their yield and ensure crop health. In this way, the creation of an
end-to-end circular economy on a small scale can have a positive impact on the local farmers, community and the environment itself.
To get in touch with us about this project simply head over to our Contact Us page and drop us a line.