Building Sustainability Evaluation Tool for Olive Oil Mills: A LEED Application in an Olive Oil Mill in Southern Italy

The construction industry is highly impacting our planet particularly in food-related structures, where there is a high consumption of resources and energy, leading to the generation of substantial waste and pollution. Given the various models available for evaluating the performance of different types of buildings, we have chosen to apply the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for operation and management (LEED O + M Existing Buildings) sustainability assessment tool, to evaluate the sustainability of a specific type of food industrial building widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin, namely the olive oil industry. The study aimed to highlight the importance of appraising the olive oil mill building, as it constitutes an essential component of the food chain. The findings underscore the critical importance of assessing agrifood buildings, highlighting significant implications such as increased water consumption, suboptimal indoor environments for occupants, and the need for enhanced waste management strategies, particularly in olive oil mills. These insights transcend mere production or agricultural phases, emphasizing the holistic evaluation of agrifood infrastructures.