Pompeian’s Global Commitment to Environmental Stewardship
In the stippled shade between rows of olive trees, a small herd of sheep grazes on warm weeds and soft grasses. Amongst the animals, farmers tend the trees, the fruit, and the soil as pollinators buzz overhead. Though this idyllic scene could be lifted from the acreage of a small, artisanal farm, this meticulous and holistic operation happens to belong to Mocailin Estate in Argentina, a major olive supplier contributing to one of the world’s leading olive oil companies, Pompeian.
Pompeian is spearheading a new era of sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship in the olive oil industry starting, quite literally, from the ground up. With California’s Sunrise Olive Ranch earning certification with SCS’ Sustainably Grown®, Pompeian is aiming to have 50% of their suppliers certified by 2026 — with 100% certification slated for 2030. From cutting-edge soil health management to controlled grazing, climate-conscious irrigation, and other biodiversity protections, Pompeian is leveraging its certification under SCS’ Sustainably Grown framework to transform suppliers’ olive oil production in pursuit of 21st century sustainability performance.
A Farmer-Owned Collective around the World
Pompeian is a farmer-owned collective comprising more than 75,000 farmers in Spain and California, including partnerships with thousands of additional growers worldwide — in Italy, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, Chile, Argentina, and Tunisia. From its humble beginnings on the east coast of the United States in the early 1900s, Pompeian has grown to an internationally recognized olive oil brand. To maintain prominence in an increasingly competitive industry, Pompeian committed to collaborating closely with multi-generational farming families, while also modernizing traditional olive oil production methods for the 21st century.
Pastoral Traditions Inspire Innovative Sustainability | Mocailin Estate, Argentina
With California-based Sunrise Olive Ranch’s successful Sustainably Grown certification serving as both inspiration and blueprint, Pompeian looked to Argentinian company Elaiotecnia’s 626-hectare Mocailin Estate as the testing ground for new developments in regenerative agriculture. Over the past few years, the skilled workers and farmers at Mocailin have focused on four major initiatives to update and improve olive production: soil management, fertilization, weed control, and selective grazing.
Soil Secrets
Pompeian's soil management strategy is anchored in principles of conservation and sustainability. Their farmers employ minimal to zero tillage techniques to prevent soil degradation and maintain its integrity. Compaction is meticulously monitored, with subsoiling — a process that involves tilling and aerating the top 12 inches of the soil — implemented every decade to promote optimal root growth. Additionally, the use of dry or green cover crops plays a vital role in preventing compaction and preserving soil health.
Salinity levels are regularly checked through soil analysis to ensure optimal conditions for crops. Erosion is effectively mitigated by maintaining permanent ground cover, which prevents runoff and preserves the soil structure. During heavy rainfall, the domed field rows are designed to prevent water from pooling at the base of the trees.
All prunings are shredded and mulched on-site, enriching the soil with organic matter. Additionally, they incorporate dry or liquid olive pomace, a by-product of the oil production process, into the soil, which further enhances soil fertility and structure.
Soil biological activity plays a crucial role in promoting healthier and more productive growth. At Mocailin Estate, farmers enhance this activity by applying liquid organic matter and mycorrhizae — fibers that exchange nutrients between plant roots and fungi — creating an optimal environment for biological development. Utilizing advanced laboratory technologies such as soil chromatography and enzyme analysis, Mocailin Estate leverages olive sap analysis, allowing farmers to know an individual olive tree’s needs in real time and to apply smart fertilization. Given that olive trees are a perennial crop, farmers also use dry mulching and the application of mycorrhizae to foster humus formation around the roots, helping the trees maintain strength and productivity year after year.
As perennials, many olive trees can bloom and fruit every year (or every other year) without needing to be replanted. When cared for properly, olive trees can have exceptionally long lifespans. The oldest olive tree in the world — known as the olive tree of Vouves — lives near Crete in Greece and is thought to be more than 2,000 years old.
In keeping with the generational farming tradition, the use of legumes and green cover crops intercropped with grasses is also a common practice for Pompeian farmers at Mocailin Estate. Pompeian’s current approach leverages these traditional land-keeping practices to turn the acreage into a carbon sink that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Balancing Act of Soil Fertilization
Traditional fertilization methods often involve the application of synthetic fertilizers to meet the immediate nutrient needs of crops. These methods, while effective in the short term, can lead to soil degradation and a decrease in biodiversity over time. In contrast, the holistic approach adopted by Pompeian farmers at Mocailin Estate emphasizes the preservation and enhancement of soil health and biodiversity.
When it comes to fertilizing, farmers take a hands-on approach: they use organic materials that feed the olive trees and help set up the soil for sustained, healthy growth. Whether through drip irrigation or spraying nutrient-rich solutions directly on the leaves, every step is closely tracked using leaf, sap, and soil tests, plus checks of pH and electrical conductivity. The main goal is to naturally boost the soil's organic matter. Farmers record everything on Carbon and Soil Organic Matter registry sheets. It’s a hands-on, earth-friendly way to build healthy soil from the inside out.
Weed Control
With great fertilization comes great responsibility to manage subsequent growth and productivity, especially weeds. Weed control is therefore a vital part of any olive growing operation, and for Pompeian, weed management at Mocailin Estate fits into the strict requirements of the SCS Sustainably Grown certification standard. With this goal in mind, Pompeian farmers manage weeds primarily through mowing using shredders or brush cutters, and the cutting height is set to about 12 inches to minimize the number of passes required. This helps prevent competition with forage crop — plants intended for grazing animals to eat — and helps prevent soil compaction. Additionally, the establishment of other forage plant species for grazing animals gradually outcompetes undesired weeds.
Pastures of Plenty
Pompeian’s system for controlled, selective grazing at Mocailin Estate is defined as silvopastoral, meaning trees, cover crops, forage plants, and grazing animals are integrated to enhance mutually beneficial relationships and olive tree productivity. Animals play an important part in silvopastoral systems; their presence in various pastures at specific times is carefully managed by the farmers.
At night, the animals are safely enclosed, but during the day, they roam designated plots to help manage regrowth and maintain the pastures. The herd mainly consists of sheep and horses, with cattle joining at specific times of the year. Their manure naturally fertilizes the soil — and because grazing happens
almost all year round in the crop plots, except for the 30 days before harvest — soil enrichment is a year-round effort. During olive harvest, the animals are moved to separate grazing areas to ensure safety during production and to ensure hygiene.
Certified Sustainably Grown: Sunrise Olive Ranch | California, USA
As the first of Pompeian’s olive growers to earn certification with SCS Sustainably Grown, Sunrise Olive Ranch has committed to raising the bar across all sustainability metrics at their California operation. Starting in 2024, Pompeian set its sights on eliminating the need for chemical algae control in irrigation reservoirs while creating a closed-loop ecosystem. In addition to enhancing ecosystem health, eliminating chemical algae control is a necessary component that supports the farm’s maintenance of the SCS Sustainably Grown certification.
Working within this comprehensive standard, the ranch sought natural solutions that would support both water quality and environmental health without compromising agricultural productivity, aligning with Pompeian’s broader sustainability goals.
Read the illustrated case study about Pompeian’s latest biodiversity protection initiative.
The team developed an innovative biological algae control system through the integration of native fish into the water reservoir system that aligned seamlessly with the Sustainably Grown standard framework. Introducing algae-eating fish as a replacement for standard chemical controls proved to be a breakthrough, greatly accelerating the reduction of algae. Beyond controlling algae, the fish produced waste that became organic fertilizer, enriching the soil naturally. As ecosystem health improved, more bird species flocked to the ranch, further boosting biodiversity.
“At Pompeian, we’re proud to work with growers like Sunrise Olive Ranch who go beyond certification requirements to implement truly innovative sustainability practices. Their algae-eating fish initiative showcases the kind of forward-thinking approach that strengthens our entire supply chain and reflects our brand’s commitment to environmental stewardship.”
– Teresa Garcia, Director of Sustainability, Pompeian
The ranch cut chemical treatments by approximately 70% within just 10 months — well ahead of their projected timeline. SCS Sustainably Grown helped drive these creative biodiversity efforts through its continuous improvement approach to building ecosystem health. This holistic solution and the many beneficial outcomes not only supported certification requirements but demonstrated the ranch’s adaptability and environmental stewardship.
Biodiversity Protection | Valle De La Puerta S.A. in La Rioja Province, Argentina
Pompeian growers at Valle De La Puerta S.A in Argentina specialize in cultivating olive trees, vines, and walnut trees, and they produce wine, olive oil, and charcoal backed by a strong commitment to sustainability. Over the past few years, the farm has started developing and testing a biodiversity action plan to expand natural areas through native plant reforestation, namely the carob tree, which is a protected species. Highly attractive to pollinators, carob trees help connect biodiversity corridors and preserve the integrity of the native field that borders the Vichigasta Provincial Multiple Use Reserve.
Because one of the defining features of the farm is a network of rivers that runs through the property, farmers have designed ways to take advantage of the seasonal movement of water throughout the land. The large tracts of native fields surrounding the trees are kept as uncultivated conservation zones, which also function as low-lying flood zones that attract wildlife and act as temporary reservoirs. To restore degraded land, every year staff reforest with carob trees, inviting the community to plant seedlings and perfect growing techniques. In 2023 and 2024, farmers and community members together planted 90 and 41 carob trees, with survival rates of 72% and 78%, respectively.
This proactive approach highlights Valle De La Puerta's dedication to blending conservation with agriculture. By combining careful land management and reforestation, they're helping restore local ecosystems and showing how effective sustainable farming can be.
Sowing the Seeds of a Sustainable Future
Pompeian's holistic approach to sustainable agriculture stands as a testament to their commitment to environmental stewardship and community well-being. By integrating innovative farming techniques, cultivating and protecting biodiversity, and prioritizing soil health, Pompeian has not only enhanced the quality of their products but also ensured the long-term sustainability of their agricultural practices. The lasting benefits of these sustainable practices are profound. They contribute to the preservation of natural resources, support the livelihoods of farmers, and foster healthier ecosystems while honoring distinct geographies and farming traditions. It’s in this sense that the rigorous requirements of the SCS Sustainably Grown certification so seamlessly blend with generational farming techniques espoused by Pompeian suppliers. Pompeian has shown across a range of different growing operations around the world that meeting these requirements becomes a starting point for more bespoke, effective, and holistic sustainability solutions.
Learn more about SCS Sustainably Grown.