Caught in a Deadlock: Small Ruminant Farming on the Greek Island of Samothrace. The Importance of Regional Contexts for Effective EU Agricultural Policies

Abstract

Sedentary extensive small ruminant farming systems are highly important for the preservation of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland. Both the abandonment of grazing and overgrazing have led to environmental degradation in many Mediterranean regions. On the Greek island of Samothrace, decades of overgrazing by sheep and goats has caused severe degradation of local ecosystems. The present study highlights the importance of regional contexts for national and EU agricultural policies in regard to sustainable development of sedentary extensive livestock systems. By utilizing the conceptual framework of socio-ecological systems research, we analyze the interdependencies of environmental, economic and social factors on a local island level. Results show that between 1929 and 2016, the livestock and land-use system of Samothrace transformed from a diverse system towards a simplified system, solely used for small ruminant production. Total livestock units increased from 2200 in 1929 to 7850 in 2002, declining to 5100 thereafter. The metabolic analysis conducted for the years 1993–2016 shows that 80–90% of the feed demand of small ruminants was covered by grazing, exceeding available grazing resources for at least a decade. The regional implementation of CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) continues to support excessively high animal numbers, while farmers are highly dependent on subsidies and find themselves in an economic deadlock.

Samothraki in Transition: A Report on a Real-World Lab to Promote the Sustainability of a Greek Island

“…We do not quantify these stocks, as by NPP for example, like in [32], but describe them qualitatively as landcover and forest. We build our analysis on data published by members of our team on the quantification of stocks of the core socioeconomic sectors (as livestock [33] and built infrastructures [34]), the natural resources required by these stocks for their reproduction/maintenance, and the impacts of this resource use on natural stocks. For the built infrastructure, we also discuss the (pending) issue of future waste flows, i.e., backflows from society to the ecosystems.…”

“…Sources of Samothraki's 171 economically active herders' income and expenditure in 2016. The above shown profit corresponds to 5000€ per herder and year[33].…”

Residents’ Views on Landscape and Ecosystem Services during a Wind Farm Proposal in an Island Protected Area

“…This may be related to the fact that most respondents were recruited in the two major island towns; this is where most residents reside. Additionally, we suggest that many respondents have been influenced by the views and behavior of the small but important tourism industry [58,60]. It is interesting that similar positive representations of nature have been expressed in villages in protected areas with high ecotourism development, such as Dadia National Park in northeastern Greece [88].…”

“…Most of the island is covered by two Natura 2000 sites and it has been proposed as a UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve [57]. Samothraki's population is registered at 2840 people (based on the 2011 census), with approximately 1000 economically active residents; 20% are livestock herders and small-scale farmers, while the tertiary sector employs 60% and consists mainly of tourism-related services [58]. In the tourism literature Samothraki is known for its "wildness" and its outstanding mountainous relief: it has been said that "after Thira [Santorini], Samothraki has the most dramatic profile of all the Greek islands" [59].…”

“…In our opinion, a similar stance may be present among many residents in Samothraki as well. Although tourism is still low-key, it strongly influences Samothraki's current economic and social system [58]. In this context, more research into the influence of tourism on residents' perceptions of nature, landscape and the island's protected area would be of interest [90,91].…”