Not all olives can be Ecoprolive.

Selection of Native and Organic Varieties

At Ecoprolive, we exclusively use indigenous olive varieties that are perfectly acclimatised. The olive tree interacts with the environment, which is very important; it is part of the ecosystem. We opt for the Picual variety from Albacete, Arróniz from Navarra, and Cornicabra from Toledo.  

The Role of Water Stress in Fruit Quality

We select rain-fed olive trees because they suffer more water stress; the more stressed the tree is, the more it will protect the fruit and the more defences it will generate. 

The chosen crops are necessarily organic, as we seek minimal human intervention so that the tree can defend itself. In this way, ecosystems are regenerated, and everything contributes.

The Importance of Collection Time

The time of picking is crucial. When, in its maturation process, the olive tree considers that it should stop protecting the fruit, it stops generating polyphenols and other elements. The fatty acids also change, moving from unsaturated to saturated. 

That is when we will have the ideal conditions from a nutritional perspective. That is why there is weekly monitoring of the fields at the end of the season. After all, what we do is maximise the nutritional value.

Interview recorded at the Onda Cero Pamplona studios (10/06/2024)