Background Olive oil production has for centuries been a traditional agricultural activity in Greece and other Mediterranean countries such as Italy, Portugal and Spain. In Greece, olive oil production is located mostly at the southern part of the country, especially Crete and Peloponnese. The cultivation and production processes, however, have an impact on the environment. The most significant relate to irrigation and insecticide application, the number and location of olive oil mills, olive oil milling processes, trace toxic constituents in olive oil, and the insecticides and fertilisers used in olive tree cultivation. Objectives The INFOIL project aimed to promote sustainable olive oil production and consumption patterns that minimise the environmental impact. Through training seminars and information events, the project specifically aimed to promote: Life-cycle thinking during the production and consumption processes; Prevention of environmental impacts; The conservation of natural resources, water and energy; The implementation of Best Available Techniques in production processes, in sustainable waste management and the reduction of greenhouse gases, through use of less energy-intensive practices, and in the protection of soil, surface waters and groundwater; and The production of green products. The project would set up an information centre, with a target of attracting 20 visitors a day. The information events promoted by the project would reach at least 600 people and result in the training of at least 250 olive oil producers. Web seminars aimed to target at least 1 000 producers from across Europe each year, while an information stand at Athens International Airport would be used to promote Greece's most environmentally friendly olive oils. The project would also set up a website and an e-library containing studies on sustainable olive oil production, results from previous relevant projects and the dissemination material generated by the project. A database would be established covering at least 80% of Crete's olive oil producers. Registered users would be able to participate in an online forum designed for knowledge exchange. Finally, the project would launch of an olive oil award scheme that recognises green practices. Results The INFOIL project highlighted the olive oil case for promoting sustainable production and consumption. It created a framework for informing producers (mostly farmers) of the ecological means of production while encouraging consumers to make sustainable choices concerning everyday goods. Around 600 farmers in Crete were trained by the project, almost 8% of all farmers on the island. The number of farmers adopting the project’s green farming guidelines increased by almost 26% on 2010 figures. In Ileia around 500 farmers were trained. The project also developed a series of materials aimed at key target groups – olive farmers, olive oil producers, consumers and students. Furthermore, the project established two Information Centres in Greece (Chania and Ileia) that attracted around 6 000 visitors. The centre at Chania is hosted in a historic building in the old city centre. Around 16 600 informative and attractive leaflets were printed for the project dissemination, more than the 5 000 leaflets foreseen in the proposal. A further 8 000 flyers aimed at tourists were printed for distribution by travel agencies. Additionally, the project produced 10 000 brochures, 19 bimonthly newspapers, a 1 000 training CD ROMs and 500 books on sustainable production patterns. It was featured in two TV items. Activities focused on consumers have helped increase demand for olive oil produced in an environmentally friendly manner. As a result, olive oil producers have been motivated to integrate eco-friendly practices during olive oil production, and thus the primary aim of prevention of environmental impacts has been achieved. The project has a significant EU added value as it promoted sustainable production and consumption, an important EU environmental strategy. The guidelines developed by the project and its communication approach greatly enhance the project's results and may be further communicated by the LIFE programme to the relevant policy units at the EU level and by the project team to the relevant authorities at the local, regional and national levels. The project has also contributed to the achievement of the aims of the Rural Development Plan (2007-2013) for Greece, which is improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and agri-food sector, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources and landscape conservation, improving the quality of life of the rural population and encouraging diversification of the rural economy. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).