Gaia or Gäa is the term used in Greek mythology for the personified Earth. This emphasises the connection to nature inherent to the Greek olive oil and olive producer GAEA, and it is this connection to nature that led to environmentally friendly production and sustainable commercial thinking at GAEA from an early stage. The Greek olive oil producer belongs to the food conglomerate Zertus, which includes Dextro Energy and various organic manufacturers.
The collaboration between GAEA and myclimate goes as far back as 2005. At that time, the manufacturer was the first Greek olive oil producer to receive the "climate-neutral" label from myclimate for some of its different product lines, making it a pioneer in its industry. The first climate-neutral product was an olive oil in bottles, and other product lines followed over time.
Further CO2 analyses, calculations and measures for CO2 reduction are being added as the years go on. In 2021, together with myclimate experts, GAEA carried out further Product Carbon Footprint Analyses (PCF), with the aim of calculating the carbon footprint of as many products as possible, taking into account the latest manufacturing conditions.
GAEA analyses the carbon footprint of olives and oil manufacturing
The calculation of the PCFs is based on the entire product lifecycle. At GAEA, this includes cultivating and transporting the olives, manufacturing and bottling the olive oil, and finally the sale of the products in Greece and overseas (particularly in Europe and North America). As the results show, the product packaging, particularly the glass, makes up the largest proportion of the calculation, while the cultivation of the olives is another important cause of emissions. On the other hand, the processing in the oil mill and the transport are comparatively less relevant.
The carbon footprint calculations have enabled GAEA to minimise the negative impacts on the environment of various olive oil product lines in a targeted way. Thanks to the various analyses, the manufacturer knows where most CO2 emissions are produced and consequently where there is the most potential for reduction, for example in the packaging. GAEA looked for more environmentally friendly, recyclable alternatives from an early stage, and the olive oil producer is therefore experimenting with alternative packaging such as brine sachets or cans for olive oil. GAEA is also taking an innovative approach to the reduction of emissions in raw material production and aims to save resources.
For the unavoidable emissions from GAEA olive oil, the company pays climate protection contributions into the international project portfolio of myclimate, which supports high-quality, effective climate protection projects.
More information about the company:
