WATSON had the great opportunity to showcase its cutting-edge solutions at the 6th International Yale Symposium on Olive Oil and Health, held in Heraklion (Greece) during December 1st-4th, 2024.
This prestigious event brought together global leaders to explore the latest advancements in olive oil innovation and its critical role in health and sustainability.
About the Symposium
Organised by Dr. Vasilis Vasiliou and Dr. Tassos C. Kyriakides of the Yale School of Public Health, alongside an international team of experts, the symposium explored health in the broadest sense.
Discussions ranged from the role of olive oil in combating climate change and its connection to soil health, to how marketing can influence public health.
Recognised as a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil’s health benefits have been celebrated from ancient medicine to modern science. The event aimed to inspire a shift from treatment to prevention, promoting the Mediterranean diet as a global movement toward wellness and sustainability.
WATSON’s contributions on biodiversity and innovation
Nicolò Cultrera, from our partner organisation the Italian National Council of Research – Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources (CNR-IBBR), presented an interesting session on the role of DNA technologies in understanding and preserving biodiversity.
Highlighting the challenges faced by modern food systems, including olive oil production, Cultrera emphasised how advanced genomic tools can ensure sustainability and authenticity.
These efforts align with WATSON’s overarching mission to integrate innovative technologies for enhanced food traceability and fraud prevention.
Strengthening WATSON’s olive oil use case
Following the symposium, Cultrera visited the headquarters of our other partner organisation, BioCoS, to deepen the design of the olive oil use case optimisation.
This continuous collaboration aims to refine experimental outcomes, driving forward WATSON’s ambitious goal of ensuring quality, traceability and biodiversity in olive oil production.
Synergy with the ALLIANCE EU project
Our presence was further enriched by the participation of several organisations involved in both WATSON and our sister project ALLIANCE EU, such as METRO AEBE, the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), and the University of Thessaly. Key highlights from the event included:
- Georgia Kesisoglou (BioCoS), who explored how DNA data and Machine Learning redefine olive variety classification.
- Dr. Apostolos Apostolaras (University of Thessaly), who presented blockchain applications for transparency in the olive oil sector.
- Dr. Ingrid Hubert (LGL), who underlined the importance of DNA technologies in safeguarding olive oil integrity and protecting consumers.
As WATSON continues to push the boundaries of innovation, events like the Yale Symposium are vital for connecting with like-minded stakeholders, exchanging insights and forging partnerships.
Together with our sister project, we are committed to advancing sustainable practices, protecting biodiversity and ensuring quality assurance in the agri-food sector!