International Project Success: Training Provided to Turkish and Spanish Olive Farmers with the Principle of Sustainable Production
Balıkesir University (BAUN) Edremit Olive Growing Institute continues to generate value not only through its work in Balıkesir and its region but also through its active role in international projects. In this context, an international collaboration project, which included Balıkesir University among its stakeholders, was successfully completed, focusing on sustainable olive production.
The international grant program project, titled “Olive Tree Cultivation in the Era of Climate Change: Tackling Future Impacts with Adaptation Strategies” (Project No: TTGS-II/205), was successfully completed. Edremit Municipality applied for the project, and its stakeholders included BAUN, the Municipality of Selva (Spain), the University of Peloponnese (Greece), the UNESCO Centre of Mallorca (Spain), and the Olive Tree Cultural Route of the Council of Europe Cultural Foundation.
The University’s coordination for the project was carried out by Dr. Tuba Öncül Abacıgil, Director of the Edremit Olive Growing Institute.
In the first stage of the international project, delegations including Turkish, Spanish, and Greek representatives visited Selva (Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain) and Edremit to observe olive farming practices in the two different countries. Following this, data was collected by the University of Peloponnese for a climate change modeling projection, and a report covering the period up to 2060 was prepared. Based on the prepared Climate Change Modeling Projection Report, BAUN, under the coordination of Dr. Tuba Öncül Abacıgil (Director of the Edremit Olive Growing Institute and Head of the Department of Plant and Animal Production at Edremit Vocational School), prepared a 4-chapter training curriculum on current and sustainable methods to be applied in olive cultivation activities in the Selva and Edremit Gulf regions in the coming years. Online training was provided to 50 participants, 25 from Selva and 25 from Edremit.
Training was delivered to Turkish and Spanish olive farmers using the curriculum and education programs signed by BAUN.
The main topics covered in the online training—led by Dr. Tuba Öncül Abacıgil as coordinator, with Prof. Dr. Abdullah Soykan, Prof. Dr. İsa Cürebal, and Agricultural Engineer Murat Küçükçakır as trainers—were determined as: results of climate projections prepared for Edremit and Selva, expected effects of climate change on olive farming in Edremit and Selva, olive farming practices in the era of climate change (cultivar selection, irrigation, fertilization, pruning, tillage), and methods for controlling olive pests and diseases. Within the scope of the project, Edremit Municipality, Balıkesir University, and Selva Municipality also provided practical training to participants on growing high-quality and resilient olive saplings in the face of climate change.
The impact of climate change on olive cultivation was investigated on a comparative basis for the first time.
Providing information about the project, Dr. Tuba Öncül Abacıgil, Director of the Edremit Olive Growing Institute, stated: “With this project, for the first time in Edremit and Selva, new generation olive cultivation practices—developed by international and national consensus according to the climate projections prepared up to 2060—were transferred to olive growers. The aim was to contribute to sustainability in the olive sector, which is one of the most important sources of livelihood in our region, and to protect olive growers on an international scale from the threats posed by climate change. Furthermore, municipalities, universities, and non-governmental organizations at both the international and national levels came together to form a consensus. By focusing on two regions in the Mediterranean basin, the effect of climate change on olive tree cultivation was comparatively investigated for the first time.”
Project findings were translated into 3 languages and shared globally on a digital platform.
All project data, events, training curricula, e-books, and final reports are shared in Turkish, English, and Spanish for interested parties on the online platform (
The Edremit Olive Growing Institute will continue its activities with scientific research and projects.
Director Abacıgil added that this important project on olive cultivation in the context of climate change is just the beginning. As a result of the data obtained, the Edremit Olive Growing Institute plans to carry out many similar international and national scientific research and studies—in cooperation with the Edremit District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Edremit Municipality, and Edremit Chamber of Commerce—on topics such as irrigation, fertilization, pruning, tillage, and pest and disease control in olives, to ensure the sustainability and increase the quality of regional olive farming activities in changing climate conditions in the coming years.
