The Neoliberal Restructuring of Agriculture and Food in Greece

Abstract

While public debt has become the focal point of discussions of the Greek crisis, the Greek crisis has been used as an opportunity to extend a series of neoliberal reforms. I examine the agricultural and food sector of Greece since 1981 and I show how Greece’s integration into the European market, following Greece’s entry in the European Economic Community led to (a) the dismantling of agricultural and food production in Greece and (b) the increased power of middlemen in the Greek food system. The three structural adjustment programs that were implemented in Greece after 2010 increased the liberalization of Greek agriculture and the centralization of the food sector. These changes had adverse implications for both farmers and consumers: farmers faced liberalization and increased costs of production, while consumers saw increased food prices despite internal devaluation.