Agri-environmental policy of EU : the case of organic farming in Greece

Abstract

Organic farming has the potential to provide important benefits in relation to environmental protection, the conservation of renewable sources, the improvement of food quality, the reduction of the surplus for various products, and the restructuring of agriculture towards specific directions where there is a demand. The shift of farmers from conventional agricultural systems to alternative ones is based on European Regulations and incentives governing the basic principles for the production and trade in organic products. The present study examines the incentives driving farmers to adopt organic farming principles, and presents proposals for the strengthening of organic farms, according to their typological analysis. The results of the survey show that organic farmers are characterized by insufficient knowledge and specialization on organic production matters and are driven by financial incentives. In addition, there is an observed weakness in the entrepreneurial development of organic crops, since they are mainly cultivated on leased plots in disadvantaged areas.