{"id":5760,"date":"2026-07-09T12:59:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T10:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/?p=5760"},"modified":"2026-07-09T12:59:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T10:59:35","slug":"pallars-champions-its-olive-oils-as-a-driver-of-regional-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/pallars-champions-its-olive-oils-as-a-driver-of-regional-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Pallars\u00a0champions\u00a0its\u00a0olive\u00a0oils\u00a0as a\u00a0driver\u00a0of regional\u00a0development\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Pallars champions its olive oils as a driver of regional development<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pallars olive oils stand out for their high content of antioxidant polyphenols<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agrotecnio, the Universitat de Lleida, Parc Agrobiotech Lleida and the Provincial Council of Lleida host a Breakfast4Inno event in Tremp to showcase the potential of Pallars olive oils<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lleida, 9 de juliol de 2026. Pallars olive oils stand out for their high content of polyphenols, bioactive compounds with strong antioxidant properties that contribute to their uniqueness and increase their added value. This distinctive feature, closely linked to the region’s native olive varieties and growing conditions, creates new opportunities to position Pallars olive oils as high-quality products with significant added value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was one of the main conclusions of the event “Pallars Olive Oil: An Opportunity for the Region”, organised by Agrotecnio, the Universitat de Lleida (UdL), Parc Agrobiotech Lleida, the Provincial Council of Lleida and the Tremp City Council as part of the Breakfast4Inno series<\/a>. For the first time, these innovation breakfasts were held outside the city of Lleida, with the aim of bringing research and innovation closer to the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event brought together researchers, olive oil producers, institutional representatives and members of the public to share the latest advances in the knowledge of Pallars olive oils and discuss how research can strengthen their quality, differentiation and competitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speakers included Laura Rubi\u00f3<\/a>, professor and researcher at the Universitat de Lleida and leader of Agrotecnio’s Bioactive Compounds, Processing and Nutrition Research Group (NUTRABIO)<\/a>; Dolors Etxalar, Head of Local Development at the Tremp City Council; and Oriol Sull\u00e0, representative of the Pallars Olive Oil Producers’ Association. The discussion was moderated by Xavier Tic\u00f3, economist, project manager at Parc Agrobiotech Lleida and Vice-President of the Agri-food Economics Commission of the College of Economists of Catalonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polyphenols: a key differentiating factor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her presentation, Laura Rubi\u00f3 explained how research is helping to better understand what makes Pallars olive oils unique. The studies carried out by the NUTRABIO group focus on the bioactive compounds present in extra virgin olive oil, particularly polyphenols, which influence not only flavour and aroma but also health-related properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rubi\u00f3 highlighted the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil, particularly its polyphenol content. According to her, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recognises that these compounds have a high antioxidant capacity and help protect blood lipids from oxidative damage, an effect associated with cardiovascular health. She also pointed out that a growing body of scientific evidence suggests additional benefits for vascular function, gut microbiota and cognitive health. In this context, she argued that some extra virgin olive oils, including those from Pallars, can be considered genuine “medicinal oils” because of their composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researcher also referred to a study conducted in the United States linking higher olive oil consumption with up to a 30% reduction in mortality risk. According to the study, the greatest reductions were observed in deaths related to cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and respiratory diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She further explained that both the amount and the type of polyphenols depend on factors such as the olive variety, the territory, altitude, harvest timing, agronomic practices and the extraction and production process, giving each olive oil its own distinctive characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rubi\u00f3 stressed that consumers are increasingly looking for high-quality foods with scientifically proven health benefits. In this regard, scientific analyses make it possible to validate the unique characteristics of Pallars olive oils and provide evidence that strengthens their market differentiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also underlined the importance of communicating this knowledge in a clear and accessible way. Concepts such as polyphenols can help consumers understand what makes an extra virgin olive oil special and what added value its composition provides. Although EFSA authorises certain health claims on food labels, Rubi\u00f3 noted that these are limited and often fail to convey all the relevant information to consumers. She therefore argued that one of the main challenges is to communicate the benefits of these compounds more effectively so that consumers can make better-informed purchasing decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A region that produces unique olive oils<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pallars offers exceptional conditions for olive cultivation. Olive groves are located at altitudes ranging from 550 to 830 metres, making them among the highest in the entire Mediterranean basin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The altitude, marked temperature fluctuations between day and night, and low rainfall favour the production of olive oils with a distinctive identity, both in terms of their sensory characteristics and their bioactive compound profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recovering a unique agricultural heritage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolors Etxalar, Head of Local Development at the Tremp City Council, presented the work carried out through the Al teu gust, aliments del Pallars programme, launched in 2011 to support the region’s agri-food sector and promote local products. One of its key initiatives was the creation of the Pallars Olive Oil Producers’ Association <\/a>in 2016. Since then, efforts have focused on recovering the region’s olive-growing heritage and expanding knowledge of its native olive varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research has identified up to 38 olive varieties<\/a>, nearly 80% of which are native to the region. This discovery has encouraged many growers to replant local varieties, which now account for more than half of all new olive plantations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides giving Pallars olive oils a distinctive identity, this varietal diversity also helps make olive groves more resilient to frost, drought and pests, increasingly important challenges in the context of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event was supported by Gust de Lleida<\/a>, the agri-food brand promoted by the Provincial Council of Lleida that brings together the entire agri-food value chain across the province. Its participation reinforces the commitment to connecting research, local production and regional promotion, helping to highlight Pallars olive oil as a unique, high-value product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of this commitment, the Provincial Council of Lleida has awarded a direct grant of \u20ac150,000 to the Conca de Dalt City Council for the construction of a new olive mill, a key infrastructure project that will strengthen the production, processing and value creation of Pallars olive oils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event forms part of the Breakfast4Inno series, an initiative led by Agrotecnio, Parc Agrobiotech Lleida and the Provincial Council of Lleida to bring research and innovation closer to productive sectors and society. The series provides a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange to address the main challenges and opportunities facing the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next Breakfast4Inno session will take place on 8 October at Parc Agrobiotech Lleida and will focus on epigenetic markers as a source of genetic improvement in pig health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pallars champions its olive oils as a driver of regional development Pallars olive oils stand out for their high content of antioxidant polyphenols Agrotecnio, the Universitat de Lleida, Parc Agrobiotech Lleida and the Provincial Council of Lleida host a Breakfast4Inno event in Tremp to showcase the potential of Pallars olive oils Lleida, 9 de juliol […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5763,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-noticies"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5760"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5771,"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5760\/revisions\/5771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agrotecnio.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}