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Greece is a country with a long tradition in animal breeding, particularly involving small ruminants and goat farming is an important livestock industry. Despite the high productivity and high quality of products, the goat industry shows low competitiveness due to high production costs compared to other EU countries. For economic sustainability, farms have to be profitable; therefore, it is important to maximize income whilst controlling costs. The aim of this paper is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the goat breeding industry so that it is not only viable but also competitive. The economic performance of goat farms are evaluated in this study, as well as the factors that influence financial results. Capital formation and production costs composition of the holdings are examined. Moreover, the purpose of the analysis is to draw conclusions regarding the gross return achieved, the participation of production factors (land, labor, capital) in the composition of total costs, and the financial results achieved. Results show that the cost of feed, depreciation, and the value of animals contribute most in the formulation of cost.

Circularity assessment and monitoring have become a core research topic in academic societies, as well as a basis for developing economic development measures. Despite the circular economy (CE) being a game-changer for the agro-food sector, little effort has been made to identify its level of circularity. In order to achieve the transition to a CE, stakeholders and industry professionals must be provided with appropriate indicators, tools and methods. Due to the complexity of CE measurement, it is necessary to devise indicators, methods and tools that are tailored to each industry. The objective of this review article is to identify the indicators and tools required for assessing the level of circularity in olive oil mills. This research collected data regarding available CE indicators at the company and product levels, as well as those applicable to the agro-food industry. As a result, a list of indicators appropriate to the needs of olive mills has been developed that could be used to measure the level of implementation of circular practices in this industry. The main conclusion reached is that once indicators are defined, they should be compared or combined with life cycle assessment methodologies to determine their applicability and effectiveness. There is no doubt that olive oil plays a significant economic, environmental and social role throughout the Mediterranean region. Hence, evaluating the CE is essential to demonstrate the effectiveness of current policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical investigation of the theoretical and literature-based constructs related to the adoption of precision agriculture (PA) practices by young farmers. For this research, primary and secondary data are used. The sample includes 220 young farmers. Among the results of this research, farmers are aware of the positive effects of technology systems in agriculture. Also, young farmers seem to be familiar with precision agriculture and have already adopted some of its methods, but the high cost of investment prevents farmers from adopting such technology. Innovative technologies and production methods can help young farmers to be competitive in the worldwide market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European agri-food-chains are characterized by strong interconnections among all partners, their complexity, their resilience in a period of uncertainty, and their shared commitment to continue to strive for food safety and quality. The regulatory role of Greek collective organizations thus empowers their members and enables small farmers to achieve the above agri-food-chain goals. A large number of academic articles on collective organizations focus on economic analysis of their performance, but there is little research on the impact of regulation on consumer behavior. The objective of this study is (a) to analyze the Greek market of fruit and vegetable cooperatives, (b) to identify consumers' opinions with regard to the regulatory role of Greek collective organizations in the fruit and vegetable supply chain, and (c) to assess whether consumers and producers benefit from the cooperative movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational management of water, which is determined by the Framework Directive 2000/60/EC of the EU, is a contractual obligation of the Agricultural Sector of Cyprus, both towards the European Union and the next generations of Cypriot citizens. To make decisions about sustainable water use and improve water use, it is necessary to understand the water use of crops in different water-use areas. Especially in large water projects in Cyprus, there must be a good way to determine the water use of crops so that the correct use of crops can be ensured, thus eliminating problems such as a lack of new information about the crop area and agricultural evaporation, Demand, and water. In most projects, water is managed and supplied based on historical data, and current information is available to determine water demand and availability for large areas. This paper also adds, apart from the clear positive effect of remote sensing and new technologies in crop irrigation, to the emerging need for advisory services for the diffusion of innovation to Cypriot farmers since the estimation of crop water requirements is part of estimating the carbon footprint under the project CARBONICA (EU Funded) for carbon farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the potential use of available grazing land for suckler cow herds was examined and we determined their stocking rate in the Region of Central Macedonia, in 2019. Data were collected by field research and through interviews from a stratified sample of 66 breeders, to identify the livestock population and achieve the characterization of pastures. The pastures included public and private grazing lands that are used by suckler cows and their calves during the six-month summer grazing period that takes place in most cases by moving the animals from the farm's facilities. The survey revealed that the average stocking rate of the Region was 0.70 Livestock Units/ha with strong variability within the study area (min 0.13, max 1.06). Also, the relatively high predation risks on pastures and their seasonal use, on the one hand, do not help to achieve satisfactory productive yields and, on the other hand, pastures are at risk of direct deterioration due to over-grazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]