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Expoliva is the ideal platform to share the exceptional results achieved with Alfa Laval’s vacuum-based extraction method. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Event News

Alfa Laval will showcase the outstanding performance of its Olive Oil Booster system at the XXII International Trade Fair for Olive Oil and Related Industries (Expoliva 2025), taking place from 14-16 May in Jaén, Spain

The region surrounding La Selva Del Camp in northern Spain is now at the forefront of modern innovation. A forward-thinking partnership between the century-old cooperative Coselva and Alfa Laval is driving a new era of premium olive oil production.

As the leading global event in the olive oil sector, Expoliva is the ideal platform to share the exceptional results achieved with Alfa Laval’s vacuum-based extraction method. At Coselva, this innovative technology enabled a 10% increase in the extraction of premium extra virgin olive oil and a 20% boost in polyphenol content, marking a major advance in both efficiency and nutritional quality.

With global food demand expected to rise 70% by 2050, innovation in food processing is critical. Alfa Laval’s technologies are designed to maximise the availability of nutritious food while minimising environmental impact.

The Olive Oil Booster system integrates advanced thermal and separation processes, including a plate heat exchanger and centrifugal decanter—to improve performance without disrupting traditional production flow. When combined with Alfa Laval’s crusher and vertical centrifuge, the system significantly increases both oil yield and antioxidant levels compared to conventional methods.

In partnership with Sistema.bio, Danone is equipping 6,500 smallholder dairy farmers with biodigesters to reduce methane emissions. (Image source: Sistema.bio)

Cattle

Global leader in biodigestion technology, Sistema.bio recently announced its collaboration with leading food and beverage company, Danone during the 17th edition of the International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco (SIAM)

Through a memorandum of understanding (MoU), Sistema.bio and Danone aim to support smallholder farmers by introducing biodigesters – a proven manure management solution to mitigate methane emissions, while providing access to renewable energy on-farm. The partnership aims to deploy 6,500 biodigesters by 2030 for smallholder dairy farmers across various geographies, starting with Mexico, Morocco and India.  

These systems convert livestock waste into biogas and organic fertiliser, which can be used as valuable resources at farm level. Overall, this supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering production costs, and decreasing reliance on chemical fertilisers. The biodigester’s digestate can also be used as a natural organic fertiliser, which improves soil health and efficient water use, supporting agriculture to be more sustainable and resilient. 

This partnership marks a major step toward decarbonising dairy farming by delivering locally adapted high-impact technological solutions, at the service of the farmers, ultimately empowering local communities to drive meaningful climate action.  The project also aligns with Danone’s Impact Journey toward regenerative and resilient agriculture and ‘Hlib Bladi’ programme, which supports local milk sovereignty and promotes sustainable farming practices in Morocco. 

The project will be rolled out in stages. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Agriculture

A new US$9.2mn investment project has been launched to help 57,000 smallholder farmers and pastoralist households in chronically dry areas make their water supplies last longer and build their resilience to climate change

The Agriculture Sector in Libya (RENEWAL) project will be IFAD’s first-ever investment in Libya. It was recently launched by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in cooperation with the Government of Libya

Being one of the world’s driest countries, Libya urgently needs to extend the lifespan of its available water resources. In addition, its outdated infrastructure, climate impacts and political transition have further exacerbated long-standing water scarcity. To address these challenges, an inaugural workshop was held on 28 April in Tripoli. In the presence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives from IFAD, UNOPS and the Libyan government discussed RENEWAL’s goals and how they would be achieved.

Key project activities include the improvement of water and soil management, climate vulnerability assessments, and capacity building for local communities. The project emphasises social inclusion, prioritising the needs of women, smallholder farmers, and pastoralists. Targeting vulnerable areas across Libya, including the northwest, northeast, and southern regions, the project will be rolled out in stages. In addition to improving agricultural practices, the project will capture and disseminate knowledge across the country, ensuring that best practices are replicated in other regions.

Entomatic is highly versatile and can be used in horizontal and vertical row crops. (Image source: Biobest)

Machinery & Equipment

The Entomatic automated dispenser stands as a game changer for spider mite control, ensuring precise and uniform Phytoseiulus distribution across crops

Phytoseiulus persimilis, a specialised predatory mite, feeds exclusively on spider mites and is an essential and well-established component of biocontrol programmes. Entomatic is highly versatile and can be used in horizontal and vertical row crops. It has been widely adopted in high-tech protected vegetable crops, such as tomatoes, sweet peppers and cucumbers, as well as cut flowers and open-field strawberry production.

Beyond Phytoseiulus-System, Entomatic efficiently distributes other predatory mites, most beneficial insects, and Artemac supplementary predator feed in tomatoes. Its user-friendly, modular design allows for easy configuration across different glasshouse setups, whether mounted on existing carts, tractors, robotic sprayers, or custom driving platforms.

Sam Gui, market development manager for High Tech IPM at Biobest explained how Entomatic maximises effectiveness by smoothly and precisely releasing Phytoseiulus-System, at a controlled rate, over the head of the plants. “Aside from the increased precision, due to automatisation, Entomatic can significantly cut labour costs. Depending on the Entomatic model, we’ve seen labour costs for beneficial mite introduction cut by up to 90%.”

 

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