GREECE
I began my career in IT. My friend Alexandros started growing seasonal vegetables and in 2015 we both decided to grow our own food, combining traditional cultivation and seeds with some key points of permaculture and natural cultivation. This is how EcoGaia Farm was created. Today we grow lentils, chickpeas, seasonal vegetables, fruits, almonds and walnuts. The Craft Law enabled us to create a series of new products using small-scale processing. We have hens, ducks, geese and guinea fowls living free in our trees and land. EcoGaia Farm has always welcomed visitors. Every year we host volunteers from all over the world. We have a CSA network in Athens and Thessaloniki.
There are not as many young producers as are needed, so the sustainability of each new venture is important. For us, organic food and farmers are vital, as are more consumers with environmental awareness. I would like to see tax exemption as an incentive to boost the primary sector, or funding to start new farms and access to land.
Historically cooperation is difficult in Greece as all previous years the farmers’ cooperatives failed but we try. Developing CSA networks is really important.