"NILEAS" Group of Producers
"NILEAS" was founded at the beginning of 2002 (headquartered in Chora) by 55 olive producers from the wider area of Western Messenia and is the first cooperative of olive producers that linked olive cultivation with the environment through demanding standards of European programmes. What differentiates it from other cooperatives is that its members produce olive fruit destined for olive oil, emphasising sound environmental practices and the production of quality olive oil.
A milestone in the course of "NILEAS" was the environmental management system's compliance with the international standard ISO 14001 and its certification in the summer of 2003. It was, in fact, the first environmental management certification given to a European olive grove.
Today, "NILEAS" stands tall as a distinguished Organisation of Olive Oil and Table Olive Producers. Its 33 members cultivate over 1,200 acres, half of which have embraced organic cultivation, a testament to their commitment to sustainable practices.