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Bioresources For Oliviculture- BeFOre

Programme: Horizon 2020 (2014-2020)

Typology: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

Duration: February 2015 – January 2019 

Beneficiary: CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) – IsaFom and IIBR

Co-Beneficiaries and Partner: Maich -The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania; INTA -Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria INTA (Regional Center of Mendoza-San Juan); SUPAGRO; INRA – Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; World Olive Germplasm of Marrakech (OWGB); Università di Perugia (Department of Medicine and Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences); Agricultural University of Athens (AUA); Universidad de la Frontera; IFAPA Centro “Alameda del Obispo”, National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE) ; LARI; Confederazione Industria e Artigianato of Perugia; Universidad Autonónoma de Baja California; SEVITEL; Optimum Quality. 

Responsible for the Coordinator: Marina Bufacchi

Key Staff:

Website: www.beforeproject.eu

Objectives and activities

The project aims at establishing a multi-lateral network of research and innovation staff active in OLIVE germplasm access, conservation, evaluation and exploitation, strengthening research capacities through the exchange of knowledge and expertise on a shared research programme focused on establishing integrated common protocols to phenotype and characterize plants at molecular, morphological and physiological level, and evaluating the olive oil quality related to varieties. Particular attention will be paid at establishing the international intellectual property rights for conserving and exchanging the olive genetic resources. The involvement of some Non Academic Organizations will allow the sharing of knowledge and ideas from research to all levels of the olive production chain, from plant propagation to fruit production and oil extraction (and vice-versa).

The joint exchange programme will involve 15 partners belonging to academic and non-academic sectors and will be performed through a series of short and long term periods of staff exchanges between European and Third Countries Partners and workshops. The Project will be coordinated by the CNR group at scientific and managerial level, with the contribution of a Steering Committee.

As a result of this Project we are expecting to improve the potential of the Olive Germplasm collections, repositories and banks as main sources of variability and of evaluation tools to be used to increase sustainability of oliviculture and to face existing and arising problems, such as those deriving from climate changes, and for the olive oil quality improvement and diversification.