The Scientific Conference on the topic of olives and olive oil, which was the central event of the 2nd “Sparta Olive & Olive Oil” Festival organized by the Municipality of Sparta, was concluded with great success on Sunday, September 21, 2025, in Sellasia, Laconia.
The festival began with the cultural events of September 13th and 14th – the concert by Pantelis Thalassinos and the dance gathering in Xirokambi and Sparta – and culminated with the conference, which brought together a large number of scientists, organizations and professionals in the agri-food sector.
Official Greetings
Greetings were delivered by the Mayor of Sparta and host Mr. Michalis Vakalopoulos, the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food Mr. Yiannis Andrianos, the Member of Parliament for Laconia and representative of the President of the Parliament Mr. Neoklis Kritikos, the Deputy Governor of Laconia Mr. Theodoros Veroutis, the President of the Laconia Chamber of Commerce Mr. Yiannis Panaritis and the President of the Sparta Chamber of Commerce Mr. Yiannis Karvouniaris.
The first panel
In the first part of the presentations, the following spoke:
Mr. George Bourazanis, General Director of Regional Agricultural Economy and Veterinary Medicine of Peloponnese, on the topic “The physiognomy of the Peloponnese in the Olive Tree and Olive Oil – Problems and Prospects”,
Mr. Dimitris Sotiropoulos, representative of DIO, on the “model of Regenerative Agriculture”,
and Mr. Stelios Michaloutsos, member of the Board of Directors of DOEPEL, with the speech “Olive Tree: The Fruit That Unites Us”.
The second panel
Then, the presentations followed:
by Mr. George Sakellaropoulos, exporter and organic farmer, on the topic “Olive Farming from Yesterday to Tomorrow – Bio-Functional Olive Products – DMB: the New Discovery in Olive Oil”,
by Ms. Maria Kouri, Assistant Professor at the University of Peloponnese, on “the Olive Culture and its Development Dynamics”,
and by Mr. Konstantinos Marinakou, Associate Professor at the University of West Attica and President of the Peloponnese Tourism Organization, who highlighted the “new opportunities of Olive Tourism in Laconia”.
Under the auspices of important bodies
The scientific conference was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, as well as the “Pavlos Giannakopoulos” Foundation, strengthening its institutional and developmental character.
Statements by Konstantinos Marinakos
In his statements, the President of the Peloponnese Tourist Organization, Mr. Konstantinos Marinakos, emphasized:
“The conference provided the opportunity to highlight the multiple dimensions of the olive tree and olive oil. In my presentation, I focused on olive tourism, a special form of tourism with high added value, which can be a lever for development for local communities, creating new employment opportunities and contributing to the fight against land abandonment. I congratulate the Municipality of Sparta and the Mayor, Mr. Vakalopoulos, for the initiative and the vision.”
