July 17, 2023

Greece AKIS | Updates on the different AKIS

AKIS Overview

Based on a complete diagnosis of the existing situation, a structured AKIS will bedesigned and put into place with specific goals and well-allocated roles to stakeholders. The basic aim will be to transfer knowledge and innovation in order to reduce the gap between knowledge, science, experience, research outputs and practical applications.

According to the Strategic Pan of Greece, the integral elements of AKIS in Greece will be a National Committee with an executive role, which will provide goals and directions on the contect of Farm Advisory and Training Programs. The Committee will work closely with the Coordination Body and the Greek CAP Network for designing its plan of action but also with regards to facilitating networking among bodies implementing farm advisory and training and producing research and innovation.

Key actors with a role in this Committee include

• Greek Managing Authority of the CAP Strategic Plan (Coordination Body)
• Ministry of Rural Development and Food
• Universities relating to the farming sector
• Hellenic Agricultural Organization – DIMITRA
• Greek CAP Network
• The Geotechnical Chamber of Greece

Secondary stakeholders have also been identified

• Farmers’ collective Organizations
• Actors in the agri-food value chain
• Young Farmers Groups
• Consumers
• Other Minsitries (Education and Regligious Affairs; Development and Investments; Digital Governance)
• Regional Governments
• General Secretariat of Research and Innovation (GSRI)

Significant roles will be played by

• Farm Advisory Services
• The EU and national Rural Networks
• EIP-AGRI
• Interventions on “Knowledge and information exchange” and “Cooperation”

AKIS Coordination Bodies

In Greece the AKIS Coordination Body is the Greek Managing Authority of the CAP Strategic Plan, which will work together with other relevant actors and structures of AKIS in Greece in the following domains

• Implementation of priorities relevant to training of Farm Advisors
• Utilization of platforms – such as a Digital Repository of Farm Knowledge – and feedback with information and knowledge from the implementation of interventions
• Networking among several partners in AKIS across Greece and EU
• Ensuring synergies and avoidance of “time gaps” in the implementation of Actions relating to Cooperation, Training and Advisory
• Facilitation of the evaluation of applications and publication of open Calls for potential implementation bodies

CAP Strategic Plan Priorities

The CAP strategic plan is meant to support the primary sector of Greece in order to cover the concerns of consumers and producers regarding healthy food as well as to protect the environment (including the reduction of environmental and climate footprints)

The following are particularly highlighted

• Ensure fair incomes for farmers by reducing the imbalances in the allocation of direct payments
• Improve the competitiveness of the agri-food sector through the increase of the added value that will be derived by the combined increase in incomes
• Reduce production costs through the use of new technologies
• Reinforce cooperation among farmers and create robust collective schemes that will generate economies of scale
• Attract young farmers and create new jobs in rural areas