The researcher and entrepreneur Jaime Olaizola has been awarded the First Ecology Prize At an official ceremony held in the Spanish Senate, the focus was on the need to protect the land without sacrificing economic activity. The award, promoted by the Juan Belmonte Institute and the Legados organization, underscores the importance of integrating science, land management, and rural communities to address current environmental challenges.
The award recognizes a career focused on the “Smart reforestation” and the study of soil microbiota as a key element for regenerating forests, strengthening biodiversity, and addressing extreme events such as fires, droughts, or plagues. From his perspective, ecology will only be sustainable over time if it is also viable for those who make their living from the land, advocating for what he calls a “profitable ecology.”
An award created to defend the territory and the rural world
The 1st Ecology Prize has been promoted by the Juan Belmonte Institute and the Legados entity with the intention of supporting initiatives that connect society and nature through projects rooted in the territory. The creation of this recognition responds to the concern about the growing gap between urban and rural environments, and the loss of ties with the land and its traditions.
In this first edition, The award ceremony was held in the Senate with the aim of placing the debate on the management of the natural environment and the future of the countryside on the public agenda. It was not only a tribute, but also a symbolic gesture to give visibility to those working on the ground in environmental regeneration and the revitalization of the rural world.
The prize is endowed with 5.000 euros It aims to establish itself in the coming years as a benchmark for recognizing individuals, companies, or projects that combine territorial defense, rural culture, and landscape conservation. The call for applications received submissions from a wide range of backgrounds, from regenerative agriculture and extensive livestock farming to business initiatives and environmental outreach proposals.
As its promoters pointed out, Authenticity, daily commitment to the land, and responsibility are especially valued. in natural resource management. It's not just about rewarding good ideas, but about highlighting experiences sustained over time, with tangible results for ecosystems and rural communities.
With this award, both the Juan Belmonte Institute and Legados reinforce their commitment to a territory management based on the balance between society, economy and natureThe intention is to promote solutions that look to the future without breaking with rural roots, giving prominence to those who live and work in the countryside.
Jaime Olaizola, a leading expert in soil microbiota and smart reforestation
The protagonist of this first edition, Jaime Olaizola is a PhD in Forestry Engineering and founder of the company ID ForestShe specializes in biotechnology applied to the forestry and agroforestry sector. Throughout her career, she has focused her efforts on understanding what happens beneath the soil surface and how this invisible world influences the health of ecosystems.
Their main line of work is based on the analysis of Soil microbiota and its influence on the regeneration of forest ecosystemsFor Olaizola, "the essence of everything is in the soil," and for this reason he calls for much more attention to be paid to the biological processes that allow degraded land to be recovered naturally, by promoting beneficial microorganisms.
Among the practical applications of his research, the use of Mycorrhizal fungi and other microorganisms as allies of vegetationIn vineyard projects, for example, he has promoted the idea of transforming these farms into veritable "soil forests," where microbial life improves soil structure, strengthens fertility, and contributes to healthier and more resilient agricultural production.
Olaizola's approach is framed within a vision of “practical and scientific environmentalism”It avoids purely theoretical approaches. Its objective is for the solutions arising from research to translate into useful tools for farmers, ranchers, and forest managers, reinforcing their role as key players in biodiversity conservation.
Inspired by figures such as the naturalist Jesús Garzón, the award winner has always maintained that The farmer is one of the main guardians of the territory When it has the knowledge, technical support, and regulatory frameworks that promote environmentally friendly practices. Its trajectory seeks to demonstrate that science can go hand in hand with rural traditions to adapt them to current climate challenges.
Biotechnological innovation and land management from ID Forest and IDForest
In addition to his research role, Olaizola has developed a powerful entrepreneurial profile through ID Forest, a biotechnology company focused on solutions for smart reforestation and sustainable soil management. Their work relies on a combination of field studies and laboratory analysis, allowing them to design strategies tailored to each ecosystem.
In parallel, the work of the agroforestry company has also been made public. IDForest, founded in 2010, which offers innovative biotechnological solutions applied to crops and industrial processes with a holistic approach. Its projects revolve around optimizing production without compromising the ecological health of the soil or biodiversity.
These models focus on nature-based toolsThis includes using organic matter to stimulate microorganisms that act as biofertilizers, reducing the use of chemical inputs and intensive intervention. The priority is to take advantage of natural ecological processes to maintain the fertility and stability of production systems.
One of the examples that Olaizola himself often cites is the model of “self-pruning” of the treesThis method involves planting trees closer together so they compete naturally for light and space. This avoids the need to manually prune millions of trees, reducing costs and stress for the plants without sacrificing orderly forest management.
All this work is developed under the idea of a “field with laboratory”where teams of engineers, biologists, and biotechnologists work in forests and farms as well as in scientific facilities. The aim is to understand what is really happening in the soil and translate that knowledge into practical solutions that can be applied in forests, crops, and degraded areas.
A profitable ecology: sustainability and economy hand in hand
During the event in the Senate, Olaizola stressed the need to commit to a “real sustainability” that improves ecosystems while generating economic activityIn his opinion, any environmental project must have as a red line not to degrade natural systems or mortgage the soil in the long term, even if it is profitable in the short term.
The researcher argues that it is possible to move towards a “profitable ecology”where the conservation of the natural environment and the production of goods and services go hand in hand. To achieve this, he insists that intensive practices must be based on soil biology and intelligent land management, rather than relying solely on external inputs or aggressive interventions.
Among the tools it proposes are reforestation strategies adapted to each contextThis includes promoting native species, maintaining organic matter in the soil, and reducing large-scale interventions, replacing them with more subtle management practices that rely on natural processes. This increases resilience to fires, droughts, and pest infestations.
The award has also sought to highlight its commitment to the fight against climate change from a perspective close to rural reality. Through its reforestation and ecological restoration projectsOlaizola has contributed to the recovery of large forest areas and to strengthening the capacity of ecosystems to capture carbon and maintain biodiversity.
This way of understanding ecology places those who work the land at the center, suggesting that There can be no solid ecological transition if the rural world is left out.In his speech, he warned that, although there is much talk about rural development, in practice many change processes are designed without sufficiently taking into account the experience of farmers, ranchers and villagers.
Messages from the jury and a commitment to social impact
The jury of the 1st Ecology Prize wanted to highlight, above all, the Olaizola's ability to combine scientific research, technological innovation and land managementThis combination has opened new avenues for ecological restoration in different areas of Spain and has served as an example of how applied science can transform the land.
The director of Legacies, Javier DoradoHe emphasized that the award winner's work represents a way of doing things based on a deep understanding of the land, common sense, and a commitment to those who live and work there. In his view, it is a way of "taking care of what is ours" by relying on both scientific evidence and real-world experience in the field.
For his part, the president of Juan Belmonte Institute, Fernando GomáHe explained that the award seeks to recognize individuals who embody authenticity, commitment, and daily responsibility to the land. Profiles like Olaizola's, who exert a significant social or cultural influence in the active defense of the territory and in the connection between the urban and rural worlds.
During the ceremony, a film was projected for the first time. Short film dedicated to the work of Jaime OlaizolaThe video was created to showcase their projects and raise public awareness of the importance of soil as the foundation of ecosystems. It also aims to serve as an educational tool to inspire new generations of environmental professionals.
The celebration in the Senate reflected the desire to give the award a national dimension and a relevant public echoBeyond personal recognition, the aim was to open a conversation about how to reconcile the necessary ecological transition with maintaining a dignified life in rural areas, where a large part of the country's natural resources are still concentrated.
Rural world, depopulation and future opportunities
In his speeches, Olaizola took the opportunity to deliver a critical message about the way the green transition is being approached in Spain and Europe, pointing out that Many policies are not taking the reality of the rural world into sufficient account.In his view, there is frequent talk of stabilizing the population and halting depopulation, but those who already live in the villages continue to be left behind.
As an alternative, he proposes to accompany those who wish to move to the countryside and to support those who are already therefacilitating viable projects in sectors such as agriculture, livestock farming, and the production of healthy food. The key, he insists, is combining environmental sustainability, economic profitability, and quality of life.
In this context, he mentions the potential of production models that integrate innovation and traditional knowledgeFrom extensive livestock farming to mixed agroforestry systems or productive reforestation projects, the idea is that each initiative contributes to improving the state of ecosystems while generating income and local employment.
The Ecology prize, by focusing on trajectories of this kind, aims to serve as A platform for experiences that demonstrate that another way of managing the territory is possibleIt is not about idealizing the countryside, but about showing that there are concrete alternatives to environmental degradation and rural abandonment.
In a global scenario marked by the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity, The figure of Jaime Olaizola symbolizes a way of working on ecology from the ground up.With their feet firmly on the ground and their eyes on the long term, their recognition in the Senate reflects the growing public interest in solutions that connect science, economics, and landscape, and that allow us to care for the forests and soils on which much of our collective future depends.
