On Thursday, October 10, 2024, the Institute for Oliveculture from Science and Research Centre Koper (ZRS Koper), as part of the Waste4Soil project (Transforming food waste into sustainable soil enhancers for better soil health and improved food systems, HORIZON-MISS-2022-SOIL-01-02, No. 101112708), in collaboration with project partners the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana (ULBF) and Koto company, hosted a visit from students of agricultural secondary schools from Denmark and Spain, who were visiting Slovenia as part of an Erasmus exchange.
The meeting was an opportunity for international exchange of experience and knowledge between experts and young people from different countries.
The event took place in a grove of indigenous olive varieties in Marezige and at the Babič olive mill and focused on exploring innovative solutions for improving soil quality, which is key to sustainable agricultural production.
The programme began with a visit to the olive grove of indigenous olive varieties in Marezige, where Rok Babič from ZRS Koper presented the state of Mediterranean agriculture and olive growing in Slovenia. The participants, including the Erasmus students, then attended a workshop on visual assessment of soil quality led by Assoc Prof Dr Rok Mihelič from the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana.
The participants then visited the Babič olive mill, where they observed the olive oil production process and waste management techniques. Assoc Prof Dr Rok Mihelič then presented the innovative concept of the Soil Enhancer, developed within the Waste4Soil project, which aims at the sustainable use of soil and improving its fertility.

The visit of Erasmus students enriched the event with an international dimension and also facilitated the strengthening of ties among participants from various disciplines and countries.
The Slovenian consortium Waste4Soil thanks all participants for their collaboration and looks forward to future opportunities for further cooperation and knowledge exchange.
