The mayor of Kozani, a city in northern Greece, has decided to ban the “Without intermediaries movement”, which had created a direct link between local farmers and consumers, euractiv.com
Local authorities argued the farmers’ market, which has been in place since the last five years, violated existing legislation.
Short food supply chains became popular in Greece after the economic crisis, which forced smallholders and consumers to seek alternative ways of getting food at affordable prices.
At EU level, different forms of short food supply chains (SFSC) have developed in the last years. Advocates cite SFSCs are not just about selling local cheap products as they also have positive spillover effects on rural societies, the environment and agrotourism.
Local media e-ptolemeos.gr revealed that the mayor decided to stop the “Without Intermediaries” movement, and the move came as a surprise, considering that mayor Lefteris Ioannidis is a known environmentalist who has been praised for his progressive policies.
He is one of the few mayors across the country to implement a much-discussed smoking ban in public places and also warmly welcomed Syrian refugees at the height of the migration crisis.
Agricultural cooperative “Aliakmon” accused both the mayor and vice-mayor Chryssa Athanasiadou, who is a far-left politician, of bowing to the pressure from large businesses in the region and the market.
“It’s a shame. The mayor deprives producers of a significant income and the consumers, from cheap and high-quality products,” claimed Panagiotis Arnidis, the president of Aliakmon.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Nikos Koutoulas
