Greece: there are young farmers. The problem is persuading them to stay

Another study by the Dianeosis Institute estimates that almost 65 per cent of farmers are over 55 and that 37 per cent are over 65. These figures clash with the European Commission’s stated aim of doubling the proportion of young farmers in order to maintain the competitiveness of the European agricultural sector.

For Nikos Gousios, 37, chairman of the Enipeas agricultural co-operative in Farsala, the problem is, first and foremost, an economic one.

‘The problem is that, at the moment, we have a profession that is not sustainable. When a young person sees that they are constantly in debt and cannot make ends meet, how can they carry on in this line of work? Of course, it’s not easy to simply say “I’m leaving”, but it’s a question that many are starting to ask themselves.’

According to Gousios, younger farmers are not simply facing financial difficulties: ‘We’re no longer just breaking even; we’re well and truly in the red.’ High production costs, slim margins and growing uncertainty are making it increasingly difficult to envisage a future in the primary sector.

‘These young people must be ready to face the challenges of the future – through cooperatives, new crops and new farming practices. But first and foremost, we need a plan to help them. We produce high-quality products, but at very high costs.’

According to the president of the Farsala cooperative, the problem concerns not only the Greek government, but the entire structure of European agricultural policy. ‘The European Union should not simply limit itself to distributing subsidies. It should play a much broader role in organising the agricultural economy and protecting European produce from competition from non-European countries.’

His criticism, however, is not directed solely at the institutions. ‘Farmers, too, must open their eyes and realise that everything has changed.’ In his day-to-day dealings with the cooperative’s members, Gousios observes a growing interest in new technologies, innovative farming methods and the opportunities offered by international cooperation. In his view, generational renewal cannot be addressed solely through occasional financial incentives, but requires a long-term strategic vision.

“We need to give the younger generations something to aim for,” he says. Otherwise, in the coming years we will see more and more people leaving this profession. We need agricultural training, planning and support from the state. Not 50 or 100 euros in aid, but a genuine plan to strengthen the primary sector, which once represented our country’s heavy industry.”

One of the issues of greatest concern to rural communities in Greece is the emigration of the younger generation.

“Many farmers’ children leave their villages to study and seek employment in military academies or the security forces, because these offer a secure salary,” says Gousios. This choice is not necessarily due to a lack of interest in farming, but to the growing perception that the sector is no longer able to offer economic stability.

The result is a gradual depopulation of rural areas, leading to the loss of skills, traditional ways of farming and human capital that have characterised Greek agriculture for centuries. This phenomenon risks undermining not only generational renewal, but the very survival of entire regions.

According to Gousios, one of the most common misconceptions in public debate is to view the Common Agricultural Policy solely as a mechanism for distributing subsidies.

“The European Union should also contribute to the organisation of the agricultural sector and the training of producers,” he explains.

According to the president of the Enipeas cooperative, the future of Greek agriculture necessarily depends on greater cooperation between producers and a greater openness to innovation. In his day-to-day work, he observes that many young farmers are already experimenting with new crops, introducing innovative technologies and stepping up the promotion of Greek products on international markets.

In a country characterised by small and highly fragmented farms, cooperation takes on an even more important role. Networking means sharing knowledge, investments and commercial opportunities, thereby boosting the competitiveness of Greek produce.

Kostas Kafes, 31, vice-president of the Thebes Agricultural Association and father of a young child, also makes no secret of his concerns.

“We’re completely out of money,” he says, explaining that he does not yet know whether he will be able to find the funds needed to finance the next farming season.

For Kafes, the problem is even more structural. “Farming is essentially a closed profession. Unless you inherit land, infrastructure and equipment from your parents or grandparents, it’s practically impossible to get started.”

The initial investment required to set up a farming business is, in fact, one of the main barriers to entry for the younger generation. “Every crop requires at least a thousand euros per hectare, and you have to invest that money today to recoup it six months later.”

The comparison he uses is particularly apt: ‘It’s a bit like gambling. We play the same game as the gambler. You can work for ten years and have just one really good year. The other years you break even or lose money. It’s an open market: we invest in the land without knowing whether the harvest will be good, whether we’ll be able to sell it, or at what price.”

On top of the economic difficulties come the effects of the climate crisis, which are becoming increasingly evident in the eastern Mediterranean as well, and the challenges associated with compensation schemes in the event of natural disasters.

The criticisms levelled by young Greek farmers go beyond economic issues.

“At the moment, the state is not merely indifferent; it is acting as an adversary to farmers,” says Kafes, referring to the delays in subsidy payments, the lack of rural infrastructure and the bureaucratic hurdles facing the sector.

According to the young farmer, public policies are gradually putting small and medium-sized farms under increasing pressure; these farms still form the backbone of Greece’s primary sector today.

However, the theme that emerges most frequently in the testimonies collected is that of agricultural training.

“There should be agricultural sixth-form colleges just as there are technical colleges,” says Kafes. “At present, to obtain certain professional qualifications, a young farmer is forced to attend courses that cost thousands of euros. If no one supports them during their first few years in business, they risk losing entire growing seasons.”

The paradox is clear: just as agriculture requires increasingly advanced skills – from sustainable crop management to the use of new technologies – the education system still fails to offer pathways that are accessible to the younger generation.

For many young farmers, generational renewal depends not only on the number of people willing to work the land, but also on the country’s ability to invest in training a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs.

Greece is probably the most emblematic case among the four Mediterranean countries analysed in this European project. Here, generational renewal does not mean attracting young people who decide to make a fresh start by moving to the countryside, nor does it mean facilitating the handover of established businesses. Above all, it means preventing a generation that has grown up in rural areas from deciding to leave them for good.

The protests that have swept across the country in recent months tell exactly that story. Young Greek farmers are not simply asking for more subsidies or tax breaks. They are asking to be able to envisage a future in the primary sector.

Income, training, infrastructure, innovation and greater capacity for policy-making emerge as the minimum requirements for restoring the appeal of a profession that continues to be an essential component of the country’s rural economy. In other words, the challenge is not to persuade young people to become farmers: many of them already are. The challenge is to ensure that they are not forced to give up farming.

*This article is part of the European collaborative journalism project “Pulse”