The LIFE Olivares Vivos+ project continues with a new phase focused on biodiversity restoration in olive farming. LIFE Living Olives Studies began to demonstrate that biodiversity-friendly practices can sit alongside productive, profitable cultivation. A pivotal moment marks the expansion of environmental restoration beyond Andalusia for the first time.
The efforts now move into olive groves across Extremadura, the Valencian Community, and Castilla-La Mancha, while continuing in Andalusia. These programs aim to expand understanding of biodiversity in olive groves and to show farmers and neighboring communities the benefits of the olive cultivation model for local ecosystems and livelihoods.
Restoration work will target unproductive areas within olive groves to diversify landscapes and create habitat and food sources for wildlife. Woody vegetation will be introduced and integrated with measures that support fauna and improve the management of herbaceous cover, enriching the whole agroecosystem.
The preservation of flora and fauna in olive groves brings multiple ecosystem services, including natural pest control, improved soil fertility, and enhanced rainwater capture. In addition, the value generated by responsibly restoring biodiversity helps differentiate EVOOs produced under this model in a competitive market.
Cultivation of woody species in Badajoz
The first site to implement these actions is Valdearenales in Guareña, Badajoz, where 750 woody plants from 25 different species were planted following the Living Olive Groves Biodiversity Improvement Action Plan. Eco-friendly preservatives, biodegradable materials, and natural reeds will be used, avoiding petroleum-based products and minimizing waste that could harm the environment.
PARB-OV, prepared for this grove by SEO/BirdLife technicians, coordinates as the main partner of LIFE Olivares Vivos+ and supports diversification through better herbaceous management and timely sowing in olive grove corridors. Fauna support structures such as nesting boxes, bat shelters, raptor poles, drinking fountains, and small ponds will be installed to bolster wildlife presence.
Future activities of Olivares Vivos+ in Europe
Similar studies will be extended to other farms within LIFE Olivares Vivos+, spanning regions beyond Spain. Key olive-producing areas include Alentejo in Portugal, Tuscany and Lazio in Italy, and Crete and the Peloponnese in Greece. The program has already expanded to 16 new farms, joining the 20 Andalusian groves that participated in the initial LIFE Olivares Vivos project.
Three additional farms in Almería and Granada will help assess how climate change impacts this olive growing approach. Teams of experienced technicians will support rural employment while carrying out biodiversity restoration actions across these sites.
Biodiversity measurements continue
The Olivares Vivos framework uses a segmented approach, starting with an initial biodiversity census to establish baseline flora and fauna. After this census, a tailored PARB-OV plan is created for each farm, followed by a new biodiversity check to monitor changes in biomarkers. Today, the commissioning phase for new farms shows biodiversity assessments progressing rapidly, with researchers from the University of Jaén and the Arid Zones Experimental Station contributing crucial field work since spring.
Scientific methods and evaluation criteria mirror those used during LIFE Olivares Vivos (2016-2021). Results confirm the model’s effectiveness in restoring biodiversity. In just three years, bird species richness rose by 5.4 percent and bird abundance by 9.8 percent; pollinators grew by 13.9 percent and 47.2 percent, while woody plant variety increased by 171.8 percent and 20 percent in different metrics. Among the biodiversity indicators, ant diversity slightly declined by 6.9 percent, though overall ant abundance rose by 4.1 percent.
Restoration tends to be stronger on farms that started with poorer conditions, and monitoring data suggest the potential to boost flora and fauna diversity by up to 40 percent in the long term on those sites. A surprising find in the census was an ant species previously thought extinct in the Iberian Peninsula, Aphaenogaster twin. A new plant species, Linaria qartobennsis, was also identified.
During the ongoing LIFE Olivares Vivos+ project, twenty groves first studied in 2015 remain central to scientific efforts. Beginning next April, biodiversity will be re-measured to observe how the Olivares Vivos model performs in the medium term.
The project has produced a visual record of olive groves and continues to document progress. SEO and partner institutions emphasize that the model is expanding toward Europe’s main olive-producing regions, with potential applicability to other crops such as table olives, vineyards, and more. The initiative is led by SEO/BirdLife as coordinating partner, with support from the Jaén State Council, University of Jaén, EEZA-CSIC, University of Évora, and other agricultural and forestry collaborators.
Funding comes from the European Commission’s LIFE program, with co-financing from regional authorities and industry groups within Spain. This support sustains ongoing research and the expansion of biodiversity-focused practices across the olive sector.
An agriculture model that is at peace with life
Since 2015, two LIFE projects have funded and guided Olivares Vivos, a farming model built on consensus among farmers, scientists, and conservationists. It reconciles olive cultivation with biodiversity and enhances farmer profitability. Grounded in scientific work from partner institutions, the model has been tested on dozens of Andalusian farms and represents a leading global study of olive grove ecology and the European olive market for olive oil.
The Living Olive Groves approach increases profits without compromising production. It reduces dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, adapts olive groves to environmental policies, and, above all, adds value through biodiversity recovery in EVOO. A consumer-recognized certification and seal are being developed to strengthen the market position of the product.
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