144,040 research outputs found
Bioremediation and biovalorisation of olive-mill wastes
No full textOlive-mill wastes are produced by the industry of olive oil production, which is a very important economic activity, particularly for Spain, Italy and Greece, leading to a large environmental problem of current concern in the Mediterranean basin. There is as yet no accepted treatment method for all the wastes generated during olive oil production, mainly due to technical and economical limitations but also the scattered nature of olive mills across the Mediterranean basin. The production of virgin olive oil is expanding worldwide, which will lead to even larger amounts of olive-mill waste, unless new treatment and valorisation technologies are devised. These are encouraged by the trend of current environmental policies, which favour protocols that include valorisation of the waste. This makes biological treatments of particular interest. Thus, research into different biodegradation options for olive-mill wastes and the development of new bioremediation technologies and/or strategies, as well as the valorisation of microbial biotechnology, are all currently needed. This review, whilst presenting a general overview, focus critically on the most significant recent advances in the various types of biological treatments, the bioremediation technology most commonly applied and the valorisation options, which together will form the pillar for future developments within this fiel
An investigation into the bioremediation of black olive brine wastewater
No full textIn South Africa, the table olive industry is burgeoning and as a consequence, the large volume of fermentation wastewaters that are generated have created environmental concerns, as these wastewaters have the potential to pollute rivers and ground waters. Currently, these wastewaters are disposed of in large evaporation ponds, but this is not considered to be the optimal treatment solution, due to the potential for pollution and environmental damage. This thesis describes an investigation into the bioremediation of black olive fermentation wastewaters. Wastewaters, from both the table olive and olive oil industries, are toxic and this toxicity can be attributed to the phenolic compounds present. These compounds are known to have antimicrobial and phytotoxic effects. Aerobic biological treatments have been extensively investigated in order to reduce the phenolic fraction of olive mill wastewaters (OMW) with relative success. Biological treatment methods are also cheaper than chemical or physical treatment methods. Therefore, it was decided to investigate aerobic biodegradation of black olive fermentation wastewater (olive wastewater) from the production of black (Kalamata) olives
The Greek Olive Oil Market Structure
No full textFood product differentiation leads to significant price variations among the same products, meaning that specific products can be sold in higher prices. An Hedonic Price analysis is adopted to investigate the influence of food differentiation on consumer prices and to identify product attributes’ values for the olive oil market. This will con- tribute to device the most appropriate olive oil differentiation strategies in order to be purchased by consumers in a higher price. The retail price structure was estimated in relation to several product natural attributes, to production and processing conditions, to quality control and to labeling and distribution. Findings demonstrate that olive oil price differentiation is mainly influenced by factors relevant to quality of life, purchase uncertainty, acquisition cost and consumers’ psychological needs. Additionally, vertical integration in production and processing and the retailer size significantly influence the olive oil price formulationdifferentiation structure, hedonic prices, olive oil market, Crop Production/Industries, Marketing, Q13, C23, L15, M31,
The water footprint of olives and olive oil in Spain
No full textThis paper evaluates the water footprint of Spanish olives and olive oil over the period 1997-2008. In particular, it analyses the three colour components of the water footprint: green (rainwater stored in the soil), blue (surface and groundwater) and grey (freshwater required to assimilate load of pollutants). Apparent water productivity and virtual water embedded in olive oil exports have also been studied. Results show more than 99.5% of the water footprint of one liter of bottled olive oil is related to the olive production, whereas less than 0.5% is due to the other components such as bottle, cap and label. Over the studied period, the green water footprint in absolute terms of Spanish olive oil production represents about 72% in rainfed systems and just 12% in irrigated olive orchards. Blue and grey water footprints represent 6% and 10% of the national water footprint, respectively. It is shown that olive production is concentrated in regions with the smallest water footprint per unit of product. However, the increase of groundwater consumption in the main olive producing region (Andalusia), from 98 to 378 Mm3 between 1997 and 2008, has added significant pressure in the upstream Guadalquivir basin. This raises questions about the sustainability of irrigated olive orchards for export from the region. Finally, the virtual water related to olive oil exports illustrate the importance of green water footprint of rainfed olives amounting to about 77% of the total virtual water exports
English folk songs from the southern Appalachians : comprising two hundred and seventy-four songs and ballads with nine hundred and sixty-eight tunes, including thirty-nine tunes contributed by Olive Dame Campbell. Volume II
No full textA collection of folk songs gathered by Cecil Sharp and Olive Campbell, and edited by Maud Karples, from the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Volume two contains 135 songs, 5 hymns, 27 nursery songs, 15 jigs, and 20 play-party games.Herbert Halpert Collection. -- Includes index. -- First edition, "by Olive Dame Campbell and Cecil J. Sharp," published in 1917.Includes bibliographical references (p. 402-405)
Detection of Virgin Olive Oil Adulteration Using Low Field Unilateral NMR
No full textThe detection of adulteration in edible oils is a concern in the food industry, especially for the higher priced virgin olive oils. This article presents a low field unilateral nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method for the detection of the adulteration of virgin olive oil that can be performed through sealed bottles providing a non-destructive screening technique. Adulterations of an extra virgin olive oil with different percentages of sunflower oil and red palm oil were measured with a commercial unilateral instrument, the profile NMR-Mouse. The NMR signal was processed using a 2-dimensional Inverse Laplace transformation to analyze the transverse relaxation and self-diffusion behaviors of different oils. The obtained results demonstrated the feasibility of detecting adulterations of olive oil with percentages of at least 10% of sunflower and red palm oils
Market dynamics and policy reforms in the EU olive oil industry: An exploratory assessment
No full textAvailable information indicates that the future competitive scenario for EU olive oil will be shaped by the market dynamics and business strategies, and the ongoing agricultural and trade policy reforms (CAP reform, WTO Doha Round negotiations, regional and bilateral trade agreements). Based on this premise, the purpose of this contribution is to present an overall evaluation of the market change and policy reform processes affecting the EU olive oil sector, pointing out the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) that can be associated to their present and expected evolution. The analysis is performed with a systemic approach to market and policy changes, under the general hypothesis that these are governed by a series of economic and regulatory factors on which there is little empirical evidence or which still are subject of public debate whose outcomes are not clear. It is also assumed that while some of these factors act on a global level, others may vary across countries and even within countries amongst different players, which means that there is a wide spectrum of possible strategies and courses of action for the future. The information used is gathered through a combination of secondary sources and primary data from consultations with a representative group of key informants in olive oil policy and markets.Globalisation, market dynamics, business strategies, agricultural and trade policy reform, EU olive oil, SWOT analysis, Agribusiness,
African Olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) as an environmental weed in eastern Australia: a review
No full textAfrican Olive, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G.Don) Cif. (family Oleaceae) is a dense-crowned tree introduced into Australia for horticulture in the mid 19th century. In recent decades, African Olive has become an aggressive woody weed, capable of forming a dense and permanent canopy in a wide range of vegetation types in south-west Sydney and beyond. Characteristics of African Olive invasion in south-west Sydney, and its seed dispersal by frugivorous birds are consistent with experience from Norfolk Island and Hawaii. We use records and aerial photographs from Mount Annan Botanic Garden and other bushland areas in south-west Sydney to describe the invasion stages and impacts of African Olive. The capacity for African Olive to establish in both temperate and subtropical zones, underlie the potential for spread well beyond current distribution in New South Wales. Research is now required to further develop control techniques and ecological restoration strategies for areas of heavy African Olive infestation. Mapping of current locations and a coordinated control strategy for African Olive is required to prevent future permanent loss of native plant diversity
Chemical and spectroscopic analysis of olive mill waste water during a biological treatment
No full textThe treatment of olive mill waste water was studied on the laboratory scale. Physico–chemical analyses showed the final products had a mean pH of 5.4 without neutralisation and 5.7 when lime was added to the process. Raising the pH by adding lime had a positive outcome on the degradation of phenols, whose levels were reduced by over 76%. The lime also changed the structure of the organic matter, as seen in the infra-red spectra. Combining the FT-IR and 13C NMR data showed that with addition of lime, the density of aliphatic groups decreased to the benefit of aromatic groups, indicating that polymerisation of the organic matter occurred during the bioprocess. Under our experimental conditions, the biotransformation of olive mill waste water appears to favour the stabilisation of the organic matter through mechanisms analogous to those that lead to the formation of humus in the soil
Multifunctional Impacts of the Olive Farming Practices in Andalusia, Spain: An Analytic Network Approach
No full textOlive agriculture represents one of the most important economic activities in the region of Andalusia, Spain. Additionally to its economic importance the multifunctional character of agriculture and its wide territorial presence entails that it has a high potential incidence in the environmental and social dimensions of the sustainable development of the region. Despite this importance, it is hypothesised and aimed to be contrasted that olive farmers are not implementing the agricultural practices optimal from an economic, environmental and social point of view. Contrasting this hypothesis entails to evaluate with a holistic and systemic approach the multiple impacts of the different technical alternatives to diverse agricultural practices. The use of the Analytic Network Process, a Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis technique, will be illustrated as a useful approach to deal with this kind of problems characterised by complexity, lack of information and risk. The study will focus on the average yield, climatic, environmental, etc., conditions of olive cultivation in Andalusia. The results seem to confirm the initial hypothesis when comparing the current situation with different scenarios of optimal technical alternatives. In particular the technical alternatives implemented nowadays they are far from being environmentally optimal. The multifunctional benefits and the technical costs of a change from the current situation to these optimal scenarios will be analysed.Olive farming practices, Multifunctionality, Analytic Network Process, Farm Management,
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