Konstantinos Tsiboukas’s research while affiliated with Agricultural University of Athens and other places

During the programming period 2023–2027, all elements of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (income support, market measures, and rural development) are, for the first time, subject to a unified programming logic. Greek agriculture is characterised by a high variation of farm incomes, an unequal distribution of direct payments (DPs), and an immense heterogeneity. Using innovative methodological tools, this chapter examines the redistribution of income support in Greek agriculture in the context of Greece’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027 and its expected impacts among different farm categories and productive sectors. Research findings indicate that granting additional redistributive income support for sustainability in 2023–2027 will contribute to alleviating the uneven distribution of DPs in Greek agriculture, which has worsened over time. However, despite the existence of this measure and its mitigating effects, the new architecture of direct payments in 2023–2027 will still favour large farms over small ones. Besides the important technical aspects of the examined issues, this study proposes a critical re-examination of the criteria for the definition of ‘fairness’ in the CAP.

The article discusses the benefits of an integrated farm advisory program on sheep farms, focusing on improving their economic performance. The program involves a team of experts providing advice on animal nutrition and farm management, and conducting a thorough techno-economic analysis before and after recommendations. The economic impact is assessed using a partial budget tool. Results show increased yields, decreased production costs, and increased gross value added. The program requires a cohesive group of experts, trusting relationships between farmers and consultants, and funding. Implementing this program on a large scale can upgrade the relevant value chain.

In this study, we implement a linear programming farm model to explore the impact of climate change-induced multiple stress on the financial viability of greenhouse tomato growers. The main results are that new technologies and innovations can compensate growers for any profit loss associated with climate change. However, if the cost of adaptation is high enough, then its financial benefits are constrained by how efficient these innovations are in terms of productivity. We did not observe significant differences in input use between ‘innovative’ and ‘conventional’ production, and the yield under the adoption of new technologies was higher compared to ‘conventional’ production.

The present study aims to develop an effective niche marketing strategy for Ladotyri Mytilinis. There will be a particular emphasis on the preservation, protection, and promotion of the local Lesvos sheep breed. Interviews took place at livestock cooperatives in Lesvos, to collect primary data. 'Ladotyri Mytilinis' is a traditional Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese made from the milk of the autochthonous Lesvos sheep that is part of the local agricultural heritage and major shaper of the island's ecosystem. Enhancing the ties between the indigenous sheep breed and Ladotyri Mytilinis is a significant step towards sustainable rural development, as well as the differentiation of Ladotyri Mytilinis through effective product placement. The recognition of the multiple benefits of maintaining the local breed can be an essential part of an improvement plan for the promotion of this cheese, which can generate a substantial upgrading of its value chain.

The scope of the GREFAM model is to use the Greek FADN representative farm data for policy impact assessment. Since the model has a narrow focus it includes in depth details tailored to Greek agriculture. The purpose of this manual is to give details on the model specification and the input data computation, so as to make it transparent to end users.