Every year since 2017, the Association World Olive Center for Health, led by Dr Elleni Melliou, organizes a conference in Athens "OLYMPIA HEALTH AND NUTRITION AWARDS" which rewards olive growers who have reached a polyphenol content above the limit set by European legislation in accordance with the so-called "Health Claim", Reg. EU 432/2012.

The Association World Olive Center for Health is one of the results of the project INTERREG MED "ARISTOIL" which was carried out by several partners from Greece, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Albania and Cyprus from 2016 to 2020. Starting from this initiative, the partners collaborate with the Association to reward producers who achieve high levels of polyphenols in their product.

The ARISTOIL project was capitalized within the ARISTOIL PLUS project and the collaboration with the Athenian association continued also for the 2021-2022 edition of the award.

A part of the producers who participated in the ARISTOIL PLUS project sent a sample of their extra virgin olive oil for the analyses that were carried out by the team of the University of Athens led by Prof. Prokopios Magiatis and just in these days the members of the ARISTOIL PLUS Cluster received the Brown scrolls, Silver and Gold for the important achievements.

"We are really excited about the great result achieved by the producers we have involved in the ARISTOIL PLUS project, who have become part of the ARISTOIL Cluster and who have had this important recognition of the passion and hard work they do every day in their olive groves and in the oil mill" declares the President of the National Association Città dell'Olio, Michele Sonnessa.

Below we mention the producers who received the important awards in Athens and the respective region of origin:

• Agr. Zaccanelli, Sicilia, Italy
• Bonaventura Cecere, Campania, Italy
• Casa Pietraia, Toscana, Italy
• Kairos Cooperativa Sociale ARL Onlus ETS, Molise, Italy
• Mafalda Maria e Angela Caicco & Az. Agr. Isabella Alberto, Calabria, Italy
• Olio Senso, Sardegna, Italy

"Climatic adversities put agricultural crops to the test, as well as agri-food systems and entrepreneurs who despite everything manage to achieve results that go beyond the average and expectations must be rewarded, promoted and encouraged so that they can continue to offer quality and healthy products. The ARISTOIL platform is available to producers who are not satisfied, who work day after day to obtain better and better results!" comments Emilia Arrabito, Coordinator of the ARISTOIL PLUS project for SVI.MED, Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Sustainable Development, ETS.