A memorandum of understanding between National Labor Inspectorate e National Association of Oil Cities to regulate the tourist harvest of olives throughout the country, following the agreement already signed for the tourist grape harvest.
The aim of the agreement is to establish guidelines to ensure that tourist olive harvesting follows precise rules and is safe. The agreement was signed – as reported by the online newspaper PugliaLive - They were Stefano Marconi, director of the DIL Centre of the National Labour Inspectorate and from Michele Sonnessa President of Città dell'Olio, during the conference entitled "Olive Oil Tourism in Puglia: New Opportunities and Prospects for Enhancement," held in Bari.
The protocol, first of all, clarifies what is meant by “tourist olive harvest” This is a participatory experience offered to tourists that includes direct but limited involvement in the olive harvest. It has an informative, educational, and recreational purpose, aimed at promoting traditional and modern harvesting techniques, the agronomic characteristics of olive groves, and the cultural and productive value of extra virgin olive oil.
The document also specifies that “this activity has no productive purpose nor can it be considered work performance nor can it be repeated more than twice in the same company within a week” and that “it takes place on a voluntary basis”. Therefore, it is unpaid, short-term, for the time strictly necessary to appreciate the activity and in any case not exceeding two hours during the day.
The guidelines set some principles on safety. “Protecting the health of participants is an essential condition - reads the document - The organizing company is required to provide the necessary personal protective equipment and physically demarcate any dangerous areas. The company representative must ensure constant supervision of the activity, and tourists involved in the harvest must be prohibited from using any agricultural machinery or from loading and unloading the bags/crates of olives.
They can organize the tourist harvest of olives exclusively for agricultural companies and oil mills that carry out oil tourism activities in accordance with current legislation and duly registered with the competent authorities. The locations where the activity takes place must comply with safety, hygiene, and accessibility regulations and must be clearly identified and recognizable with appropriate signage. They must be clearly marked within company property and separate from areas designated for professional harvesting. Finally, tourist olive harvesting must be carried out under the constant supervision of qualified company representatives/tutors who must ensure compliance with safety regulations and ensure the pursuit of the cultural and recreational purposes of the activity.
“With the regulation of the tourist harvest of olives – Sonnessa underlined – We have added another important step to the journey toward ever-improving our olive oil tourism offerings. It is our specific responsibility to support the millers and olive growers of our more than 520 Olive Oil Cities in their daily activities and to protect tourists who wish to enjoy a unique experience immersed in the olive groves, without risking their safety. We also hope that this opportunity will allow many of them to stop in the EVO oil-producing regions to discover our cultural, artistic, and scenic beauty, visit mills and olive oil museums, and participate in tasting courses and tastings.
