The real test of corporate sustainability lies not in the commitments companies announce, but in the changes they deliver across the value chains that sustain their businesses. In agriculture, where environmental degradation, climate uncertainty and rural livelihoods are deeply interconnected, responsible growth demands a fundamental shift in how businesses engage with producers, manage resources and measure long term value. For India, where agricultural resilience and inclusive development remain central to the sustainability agenda, this raises a pertinent question: how can businesses make sustainability commercially viable while ensuring that its benefits extend to the communities and ecosystems behind production?
For Deoleo, the answer lies in embedding sustainability at the source and carrying it through every stage of the olive oil value chain. From equipping farmers with practical tools for more resilient agricultural practices to advancing circular packaging, cutting emissions and strengthening product traceability, the company is working to translate its sustainability ambitions into measurable outcomes. In this interview, Manuel Ayuso de Francisco, PMO & Sustainability Director at Deoleo, examines why meaningful progress depends on moving beyond compliance towards collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement, and how this approach can strengthen both business resilience and the wider ecosystem on which the industry depends.
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Q. How does Deoleo define responsible growth, and how do you see CSR and sustainability contributing to that vision beyond environmental compliance?
A. Deoleo defines responsible growth as creating long-term business value while generating positive environmental, social and governance outcomes across the olive oil ecosystem. Our sustainability strategy is anchored in our purpose, “caring for what cares for you”, and reflects our belief that sustainable progress strengthens the foundations of the business.
This approach spans sustainable agriculture, responsible sourcing, resource management, circular packaging, emissions reduction, traceability and consumer education. Through the Sustainability Protocol, we work with olive growers and mills to strengthen agricultural practices and resource efficiency, while working closely with our suppliers initiatives across packaging, waste and climate action extend these principles through the wider value chain.
Sustainability also helps build supply chain resilience, strengthen relationships with farmers and communities, respond to evolving consumer expectations and support long-term business continuity. When integrated into everyday decision-making, CSR and sustainability become important contributors to innovation, resilience and lasting value creation.
Q. The olive oil sector is closely connected to farmers, ecosystems and rural communities. What do you believe are the most important areas where companies can create shared value across this wider ecosystem?
A. Creating shared value starts at the source. The long term strength of the olive oil sector depends on the health of the land, the resilience of farmers and the strength of the communities around olive cultivation.
For companies, this means going beyond responsible purchasing and actively supporting better agricultural practices. Water and energy efficiency, soil health, biodiversity, emissions reduction and climate resilience are all areas where practical support can create value for producers and the wider environment.
At Deoleo, our Sustainability Protocol brings this approach directly to farmers and mills through training, measurement tools and support. In 2025, the Protocol covered 95 certified mills, more than 61,000 farmers and nearly 350,000 hectares of olive groves.
The opportunity extends across the entire value chain, from sourcing and production to packaging, distribution and consumption. When environmental progress, farmer resilience, product quality and consumer trust move together, sustainability becomes a source of shared value for the whole ecosystem.
Q. Deoleo’s Sustainability Protocol is central to its approach at the source. What has the company learned from implementing the protocol about making sustainability a practical part of agricultural production rather than simply a certification exercise?
A. One of our key learnings since introducing the Sustainability Protocol in 2018 is that sustainability has to work in the reality of agricultural production. Certification provides an important framework, but meaningful progress comes from engagement, training, measurement and continuous improvement.
The Protocol is designed to work across different countries and agricultural contexts while maintaining a consistent sustainability ambition. It gives mills and farmers practical tools to measure emissions, manage water and energy consumption and strengthen agricultural practices.
Over the last few years, Deoleo has delivered multiple training initiatives across its sourcing regions, helping farmers understand not only what sustainable practices are, but also whythey matter and how to implement them successfully in their own farms. Most recently, through the European-funded Soil O-Live project, delivered together with Olivitech, we organized 12 workshops involving more than 250 farmers across Spain, Portugal and Greece, focused on regenerative agriculture, soil health, biodiversity enhancement and sustainable olive farming practices.
These experiences have reinforced an important insight: farmers are far more likely to adopt sustainable practices when they can see tangible agronomic and economic benefits, exchange experiences with peers, and receive ongoing technical support. Sustainability therefore becomes a driver of resilience, productivity and long-term farm viability, rather than an administrative requirement.
Q. How is Deoleo working to ensure that sustainability improvements at the agricultural level translate into stronger long-term resilience for the producers who form the foundation of the olive oil value chain?
A. Resilience starts with protecting the resources that farmers depend on. Water availability, soil health, biodiversity, energy use and changing climatic conditions are increasingly important considerations for olive cultivation.
Through the Sustainability Protocol, Deoleo provides farmers and mills with training, measurement tools and benchmarks covering areas such as water and energy management, emissions and sustainable agricultural practices.
We are also involved in the SOIL O-LIVE project under Horizon Europe, which focuses on soil health, biodiversity and climate resilience in olive groves. The objective is to strengthen the foundations of agricultural production so that land remains productive over the long term.
For us, resilience is therefore about building capabilities alongside environmental performance. When producers have the knowledge and tools to manage resources more effectively, the benefits extend beyond an individual farm. They support continuity of supply, consistent quality and the long term strength of the olive oil sector.
Ultimately, the protocol has shown us that achieving meaningful transformation in the olive sector requires a combination of clear standards, robust measurement and continuous training. Certification can validate progress, but education, collaboration and farmer empowerment are what make sustainability a reality on the ground.
Q. Deoleo has made significant progress on sustainable packaging and its Zero Waste efforts. What have been the biggest challenges in moving towards a genuinely circular packaging model, and where do you see the greatest scope for further improvement?
A. Circularity requires action across the entire packaging lifecycle. It involves product design, material selection, procurement, manufacturing, waste management and the infrastructure available to recover materials at the end of their use.
In 2025, 40% of the plastic used in Deoleo’s bottles came from recycled materials, allowing us to reach our 2030 target five years ahead of schedule. We also reached 79% recyclable bottles, reduced plastic waste by 7.6% and gave a second life to 94.4% of waste generated at our factories through the Zero Waste initiative.
The next stage is about building on this momentum. This means increasing recycled content, reducing the amount of material used where possible and extending circular practices across our operations.
The wider challenge is that circularity depends on collaboration across the value chain. Progress therefore comes from combining innovation with clear targets, reliable measurement and stronger partnerships with suppliers and waste management ecosystems.
Q. With digital traceability being introduced across Deoleo’s products, how do you see transparency changing the relationship between consumers, brands and the wider olive oil value chain?
A. Transparency gives consumers a much clearer connection with the product they are buying. In olive oil, where origin, quality and authenticity are particularly important, access to reliable information can strengthen confidence and enable more informed choices.
In 2025, Deoleo extended digital traceability through Telefónica Tech’s TrustOS blockchain platform to 51 extra virgin olive oil references, representing 36% of total volume sold. QR codes provide information on origin, production processes, environmental certifications and other product specific details.
This creates value across the ecosystem. Consumers gain greater visibility, brands have a way to demonstrate the standards behind their products, and producers and mills become part of a more transparent supply chain.
For markets such as India, where consumers are increasingly engaging with digital information at the point of purchase, traceability can become an important bridge between product authenticity, quality and trust.
Q. Carbonell’s “Creciendo Juntas” initiative focuses on women’s contributions to the olive oil sector. What role do you believe corporate programmes can play in addressing the structural barriers faced by women across traditionally agriculture-led industries?
A. Corporate programmes can play an important role by creating visibility, networks and opportunities for women across the value chain. In traditionally agriculture-led sectors, this can be particularly valuable because women’s contributions have often received less visibility despite their role in the sector.
Through Carbonell’s Creciendo Juntas initiative, Deoleo is creating a platform to recognise women’s contribution to the olive oil ecosystem and support female talent and leadership. The initiative has also brought together public and private stakeholders around the broader importance of female leadership in the sector.
Within Deoleo, women represented 40% of the workforce in 2025, alongside 27,267 hours of training and continued investment in professional development.
The broader opportunity is to create pathways for women to build expertise, networks and leadership opportunities. That helps strengthen participation today while also creating greater representation for the future.
Q. Deoleo’s climate strategy encompasses both operational decarbonisation and renewable energy. How do you approach the challenge of reducing emissions across the wider value chain, particularly in areas where the company has less direct operational control?
A. Value chain emissions require a different approach because they depend on collaboration with farmers, suppliers, partners and other stakeholders. The starting point is understanding where emissions occur, establishing measurable targets and then working with the relevant partners to identify practical opportunities for reduction.
Deoleo’s climate strategy covers Scopes 1, 2 and 3 and is supported by science based targets. Since 2022, greenhouse gas emissions across these scopes have fallen by 30.3%, avoiding 135,270 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. In addition, 98% of the Group’s electricity consumption came from renewable sources in 2025.
At the operational level, renewable energy and efficiency measures provide direct levers for action. Further upstream, initiatives such as the Sustainability Protocol help extend the approach into agricultural production through emissions measurement, resource efficiency and engagement with mills and farmers.
The next step is to make emissions reduction increasingly embedded in everyday business and sourcing decisions, supported by data, partnerships and clear accountability.
Q. Could you share the key impact metrics from 2025 that best demonstrate Deoleo’s progress across environmental sustainability, responsible sourcing, waste reduction and social impact?
A. 2025 gives us a broad set of measurable indicators across the sustainability agenda.
On climate, Deoleo reduced Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 30.3% compared with 2022, avoiding 135,270 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, while 98% of Group electricity consumption came from renewable sources.
At the source, 95 mills were certified under the Sustainability Protocol, covering more than 61,000 farmers and nearly 350,000 hectares. Thirty six percent of our EVOO volume came from certified sustainable mills.
Packaging also delivered measurable progress. Forty percent of the plastic used in bottles came from recycled material, 79% of bottles were recyclable, plastic waste declined by 7.6% and 94.4% of factory waste received a second life.
The people’s agenda progressed alongside this. We delivered 27,267 training hours, a 27.5% increase over 2024, with women representing 40% of the workforce and 88% of employees participating in performance and professional development processes.
Together, these metrics show how sustainability is being measured across the source, operations, resources and people.
Q. Looking towards the next phase of Deoleo’s sustainability journey, which areas do you believe require the greatest acceleration, and how will the company balance its commercial ambitions with its environmental and social commitments?
A. The next phase is about scaling the progress already underway across sustainable sourcing, circular packaging, emissions reduction, transparency and traceability.
Our science based targets provide a clear framework, including a 38% absolute reduction in Scope 3 non-FLAG emissions by 2032 against the 2022 baseline. We also aim to continue increasing the number of Sustainability Protocol certified mills, grow the share of sustainable EVOO, increase recycled materials in packaging and extend the Zero Waste model across our factories.
We see commercial growth and sustainability as closely connected. More resilient sourcing, efficient use of resources, innovation in packaging and greater transparency can all contribute to long term business value.
For Deoleo, the objective is to grow while strengthening the ecosystem that makes that growth possible. That means continuing to work with farmers, suppliers, employees, consumers and other stakeholders to build a more resilient and sustainable olive oil sector.
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