Sustainable Agriculture

Greece is moving towards a more competitive market-oriented agriculture, aiming at producing quality and branded products. Capitalizing on the comparative advantages of different areas and regions, agriculture contributes to the development of the Greek countryside. A greener and more sustainable agriculture is promoted, enhancing the complementarity between rural policy and the Renewable Energy Sources (RES). A new era of high nutritional value food products of the Greek land and sea is on track, emphasizing the importance of the Mediterranean-Greek diet.

Success Stories
1. Cool Beans!
2. Snail Farming
3. Electricity from wild Artichokes
4. Greek Food Exports on the Rise
5. An 'Apocalyptic' Agricultural Endeavour on Patmos
6. Beware of Greeks Bringing …Prosciutto
7. 'Gramma’s Spoon Sweets'!
8. Avgotaracho: Greece’s Caviar
9. Herbs & Plants: Balm for the Soul

Towards CAP 2020

In 2010, the European Union introduced the idea of a reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The new CAP aims at making the European agriculture sector more dynamic, competitive, and effective in responding to the Europe 2020 vision of stimulating sustainable, smart and inclusive growth.

Read EU’s citizens’ summary

Greece’s challenges
Agriculture is very important - in economic, social as well as environmental terms - for the sustainable development of rural areas in Greece. Changes in the CAP involve making the ‘direct payments’ system more effective, changing the market management tools, focusing more on rural development policy and dealing with price and income volatility.

Greece in particular, has shown signs of difficulty in coping with many of the above mentioned factors.  However, the country is gradually becoming more agile and less dependent on European transfers.

New crops, innovative technology, campaigning for the merits of the Mediterranean diet and promoting Greek products of Protected Designated Origin already boost Greece’s efforts in welcoming the new era. In addition, guidance is being provided through the whole process, starting from research and cultivation, to standardization, marketing and exports.

Agriculture & the Member States: Greece- Statistics & CAP2020 Reform: Greece- Profile

Did you know?
Greece is the largest producer of cotton in the European Union with 79,700 cotton farmers. In 2005, cotton accounted for 9.1% of the total Greek agricultural output.