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farmers dependent on subsidies, and to promote
a growth-boosting model of small and middle-
sized farming operations.
In fact, in order to make return to the countryside
a reality and ensure its effectiveness, the strategy
devised by the Ministry is based, according to Mr.
Skandalidis, on four pillars:
- the restructuring of the rural development
regime, with the aim of promoting sound entre-
preneurship and reducing price differentials
“from the field to the shelf”;
- the restructuring of the farmers' social busi-
ness activity, through the formation of large
cooperatives that can become major players in
the markets;
- the promotion of the social partner concept in
the agricultural world; and
- the concentration of public policies that sup-
port Greek farmers, with land policy being
paramount among them.
Which are the crops and products
through which Greek farming and
stock-raising claims a share in
local and foreign markets?
Faced with the continuous weakening of the
Common Agricultural Policy's support and protec-
tion mechanisms, as well as mounting competi-
tive pressures, Greek agriculture, which, like the
entire Greek economy, is now operating in the
EMU environment, has in the past fifteen years
seen fluctuations/stagnation in output, a continual
contraction of farming incomes (overall, per work-
er and per farm), the reduction of market
incomes, increasing dependence from subsidies,
as well as a deterioration of its international com-
petitiveness.
However, in the post-2007 period –that is, since
the outbreak of the crisis– Greek agriculture man-
aged to show some growth, despite the recession
that has hit Greek economy. Of course, chronic
problems and “constants” in the way agricultural
policy is exercised, cause well-grounded worry
regarding the sector's long-term prospects.
Therefore the aim is still to overcome the Greek
agriculture's structural problems through institu-
tional and organizational interventions aimed at
promoting collectivity and quality, along with a
new social contract for agriculture and the coun-
tryside, namely the recognition of the multiple
roles it plays within modern societies, through the
redefinition of the relevant state support policies.
This dual effort has to go through the Clashing
Rocks of both the (ostensibly) self-regulating
nature of “free” markets and the sterile “subsidy”
mentality, to which Greek farmers had grown
strongly addicted to.
However, it is still encouraging that, according to
official data, employment in agriculture increased
by 39,000 people between the third quarter of
2007 and the third quarter of 2010, whereas man-
ufacturing lost 97,200 jobs in the same period.
Trade with Greece
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