The ongoing farmers’ protest in Greece is poised for eventual resolution, leading to the reopening of highways and the return of tractors to fields. However, this specific wave of mobilizations stands apart from previous protests for one key reason: the prominence of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the farmers’ demands.
Historically, issues surrounding the CAP were often relegated to the background of farmers’ grievances, allowing a traditional anti-EU sentiment to surface without direct attribution of blame to the CAP itself. Often, farmers’ concerns related to past CAP reforms rather than current issues. Nevertheless, after 45 years of EU membership, Greece’s agriculture sector has reached a point where reliance on CAP support has become problematic, questioning the efficacy of direct subsidies.
Several factors have exacerbated this predicament. The management of the CAP was typically entrusted to a less prioritized ministry, helmed by ministers who served brief tenures, resulting in persistent structural issues and an apparent disregard for the significance of agriculture. The prevailing mindset treated EU funds as guaranteed, disregarding the stipulations involved in their management.
This clash with reality presents a unique inflection point for Greece’s agricultural policy. With the European Commission proposing a budget that reflects reduced future funds (2028-2034), there lies an opportunity to re-evaluate essential aspects of CAP implementation. Key areas for review include redistributing subsidies, reassessing the purpose of grazing land, and overhauling the consultancy system intended to guide farmers in securing funding.
It is vital to recognize that the Greek agricultural sector is grappling with far more challenges than just subsidy management. Addressing these concerns requires reflective approaches rather than superficial fixes, particularly in light of the evolving policies and the urgent need to enhance productivity. Farmers possess varying responses to fluctuations in input costs depending on how they receive support; flexible income support allows them to adjust crops, while a rigid reliance on specific products can ultimately lead to unsustainable practices.
Moreover, any effort to redistribute resources must carefully consider the role of grazing land as well as the methods of subsidy distribution, a complex issue that calls for a long-term vision and gradual adjustments. Notably, bolstering extensive livestock farming could enhance agricultural exports but might simultaneously reduce support for arable crops—complicating the adaptation strategy under climate change pressures.
Consultants play a pivotal role in navigating these challenges by providing farmers with transparent information about production options and the associated risks. Greece has the potential to develop a consultancy model drawn from various international examples, whether relying on public sector systems like Ireland’s, private sector models akin to that of the Netherlands, or cooperative approaches as seen in Denmark.
As farmers engage in the protests, they seek not only immediate solutions, but also long-term sustainability and adaptation to a changing agricultural landscape that grapples with both economic and environmental hurdles. The outcomes of these mobilizations could pave the way for a more resilient future for Greece’s agricultural sector and its farmers.