Agricultural Corporate Partnership – Meramvello Union S.A.

Location: Meramvello, Regional Unit of Lasithi, Crete
Organisation Type: Secondary Cooperative Organisation
Members: 6 primary agricultural cooperatives – 5,500 farmers
Main Activity: Collection, standardisation and marketing of olive oil
Website: www.easm.gr

Profile & Background

The Agricultural Corporate Partnership Meramvello Union S.A., founded in 1901, is one of the oldest and most active agricultural cooperative organisations in Crete. As a secondary-level organisation, it represents 5,500 producers through its affiliated primary cooperatives, playing a key role in the economic and agricultural development of the wider Lasithi region.

The organisation is primarily active in the production and marketing of PDO/PGI Cretan olive oil, and operates:

A modern chemical analysis laboratory and a recognised olive oil tasting panel
Agricultural input supply stores and producer support services
Producer groups applying integrated management systems and promoting best agricultural practices

Over the years, the Meramvello Union has acted as a knowledge and support hub for the local farming community, offering training programmes, advisory services and access to national and EU agricultural support schemes.

Participation in the MACC-SOIL Living Lab

The Meramvello Union participates in the MACC-SOIL Living Lab with the aim of piloting, evaluating and adopting innovative technologies in olive cultivation.

As an organisation with long-standing experience in European-funded programmes (LIFE, Rural Development Programme – RDP), it contributes through:

The pilot operation and evaluation of digital tools, such as the AgroDevOps platform
Field data collection through its member producers, supporting the development of input management and production footprint models
The practical implementation of technical innovations via trained producer groups
The provision of infrastructure, access to fields and data for research and pilot activities

Its participation strengthens the link between innovation and large-scale agricultural production.

Goals & Motivation

The Union seeks the continuous improvement of olive oil performance and quality through:

The rational use of agricultural inputs (water and fertilisation)
The adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices
The digitalisation of production and management processes

Its ambition is to become a model of collective innovation in the agri-food sector, strengthening the connection between agriculture and science, and promoting Crete as a reference olive-growing region of the Mediterranean.

“For us, olive cultivation is not only a tradition — it is the future of agricultural development, built on quality, evidence and cooperation.”