Lidl and Izertis: blockchain technology to guarantee olive oil traceability

Lidl has announced the launch of Primera Cosecha, a new extra virgin olive oil reference within its Olivar Tradicional project, which it has been pioneering in the sector for the last four years and which reinforces its commitment to transparency and innovation in the Spanish olive oil sector.

Izertis, a leader in cutting-edge technologies, has been in charge of incorporating blockchain technology to ensure that the traceability of the product is complete, offering the consumer verified and detailed information about its origin and production process. The technology consultancy, in collaboration with Lidl, has developed an advanced traceability system that allows customers to access information about EVOO through a QR code on each bottle.

This system provides details on the origin of the oil, the method of cultivation, the location of the olive groves and the history of the traditional Spanish olive grove. It also includes a tasting note and an interactive map showing the oil's journey from the olive grove to the mill.

With this launch, they reinforce their sustainability and rural support project, Olivar Tradicional, a pioneering initiative in Spain that seeks to preserve the cultivation of low-yield olive groves, ensuring the profitability of farms and guaranteeing a fair minimum price for farmers.

In collaboration with the Unión de Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos (UPA) and the Migasa Group, Lidl and Izertis support more than 250,000 families who depend on the olive sector, contributing to the socio-economic development of areas with demographic challenges.

Thus, the new oil will be available in more than 30,000 units (500 ml bottles) in Lidl supermarkets throughout Spain, with a distribution of some 28,000 units on the peninsula and around 2,000 in the Canary Islands.

Izertis reaffirms its expertise in the application of new technologies, such as blockchain. A year ago, the technology consultancy won the INATBA award for the best European blockchain project with the EBSI-VECTOR project.