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Many urban Greeks are returnÂing to their rural roots to become new farmÂers, but are strugÂgling due to a lack of knowlÂedge and resources. Despite chalÂlenges such as theft, weather issues, and finanÂcial criÂsis, young farmÂers are findÂing sucÂcess by utiÂlizÂing modÂern techÂniques, explorÂing unique farmÂing opporÂtuÂniÂties, and receivÂing supÂport from the govÂernÂment and the Church of Greece.
As more urban Greeks return to their rural roots, many of these new farmÂers find themÂselves lost in their effort to respond to the chalÂlenge. (Photo: Simon aka Flyblog)
Back to the vilÂlage
For ages, peoÂple in Greece relied heavÂily on the land to get essenÂtial goods for their surÂvival, like wheat which gave flour, potaÂtoes, olives, vegÂetaÂbles and fruits. During the big urban waves of the 1950’s and 60’s, the big cities were flooded with newÂcomÂers and the counÂtryÂside was abanÂdoned. Apart from the awry develÂopÂment and expanÂsion this brought to the cities, urbanÂism is now conÂsidÂered to have been an inhibitÂing facÂtor for develÂopÂment, since its net result was overÂcrowdÂing and unemÂployÂment in the urban areas and unused farm lands in the rural areas.
This uneven progress now requires a price to be paid: the finanÂcial criÂsis, which is here to stay, has forced many city dwellers to return to their vilÂlages and homeÂsteads and start over by culÂtiÂvatÂing the famÂily land. But with no conÂtiÂnuÂity in land care and no knowlÂedge being transÂferred because there is no one to conÂvey them the know-how, new farmÂers often find themÂselves lost in their effort to respond to the chalÂlenge. Instructional proÂgrams are offered by the state to teach them the job, but nothÂing can make up for such a gap of pracÂtiÂcal knowlÂedge.
Specifically in the olive oil secÂtor where more than half of the new farmÂers are occuÂpied, there are even more probÂlems: drought has caused reduced olive oil yield in many places, recent hailÂstorms in southÂern terÂriÂtoÂries deteÂriÂoÂrated the sitÂuÂaÂtion by hitÂting hard on trees and druÂpes, large quanÂtiÂties of fresh olive oil are being stolen everyÂwhere, olive trees are being cut down to become fireÂwood since petroÂleum is very expenÂsive, olive oil prices have been swingÂing high and low and the clasÂsiÂcal inefÂfiÂcaÂcies of the state to proÂmote the good (and that of the proÂducÂers to form coaliÂtions) are notoÂriÂous.
The psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal facÂtor
These pheÂnomÂena were always present, but now they are more freÂquent, more disÂcussed and much more imporÂtant; the steal of 400 kilos of oil from a farmÂhouse in Thessaly last month can now be catÂaÂstrophic for the farmer, and poverty pushes potenÂtial thieves to take everyÂthing, from oil to machinÂery and liveÂstock.
In difÂfiÂcult predicaÂments, psyÂcholÂogy plays a critÂiÂcal role and an in-depth appreÂhenÂsion of the sitÂuÂaÂtion is imporÂtant. Panic, which is conÂstantly reproÂduced and magÂniÂfied by the media, is an unwanted partÂner that blinds peoÂple from underÂstandÂing that not all othÂers are thieves and not everyÂone will be robbed.
Young farmÂers must be able to comÂpreÂhend that, despite vioÂlaÂtions and unfaÂvorÂable weather, the comÂmuÂnity has strong bonds that can’t be easÂily broÂken. Land can be the soluÂtion for many, and things will start to get betÂter if they try hard enough. Opportunities come and go amid the criÂsis and they must grasp one or two of them. The weather will again be their ally, and patience and perÂsisÂtence are required.
The light at the end of the tunÂnel
Of course not everyÂthing is obscure and retÂroÂgresÂsive. The lack of knowlÂedge about the land can be to some degree comÂpenÂsated by ambiÂtious farmÂers who conÂstantly search for new farmÂing techÂniques, who utiÂlize modÂern techÂnolÂogy to make the best prodÂucts, who conÂtact marÂkets and potenÂtial cusÂtomers via the web and adverÂtise their goods on the interÂnet.
The more restÂless and imagÂiÂnaÂtive you are, the more prosÂperÂous your busiÂness will be. There are many cases of back-to-the-vilÂlage peoÂple who have manÂaged to stand out from the crowd and impress the pubÂlic: snail breedÂing, organic olive oil proÂducÂtion, hydroÂponic culÂtiÂvaÂtions, trufÂfle farmÂing, are all cases of rather unusual but lately profÂitable activÂiÂties. The best examÂple is of a man who gets paid well to roam the mounÂtains around his vilÂlage and colÂlect wild ediÂble vegÂetaÂbles, which are then sent to fancy restauÂrants in Athens (green boiled vegÂgies is a comÂmon dish in Greece).
What is more, the state has idenÂtiÂfied the probÂlem and started to rent land to young farmÂers for a symÂbolic annual cost of 20 euros per acre. The Church of Greece is also conÂtemÂplatÂing givÂing away its propÂerÂties to farmÂers, in a gesÂture of goodÂwill but also of subÂstanÂtial supÂport. Cash starts to slowly flow again and, accordÂing to state offiÂcials, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), the backÂbone of the econÂomy, will have the chance to be funded from a reposÂiÂtory of approxÂiÂmately €500 milÂlion.
Eventually, everyÂthing boils down to the fact that if the new farmÂers are comÂpeÂtent enough and able to mainÂtain a posÂiÂtive posÂture towards the criÂsis-born obstaÂcles, these newly-bred land lovers will sucÂceed.