CULTIVATED SPECIES IN GREECE

The major commercial aromatic and medicinal plants of Greece are: mountain tea, sage, oregano, anise, basil, fennel (fennel seed), chamomile, laurel, spearmint and peppermint, coriander, cumin, and finally the typical products of some regions of Greece such as saffron (crocus) of Kozani, Chios mastic, and dittany of Crete. Saffron (Crocus sativus) is the only aromatic plant for which there is highly organized production, processing, standardization and marketing, within the framework of the activity of the Forced Cooperative of Kozani Crocus Producers, with a significant contribution to the exports of the region. Today the crocus is cultivated in an area of more than 1000 hectares which, depending on climatic conditions, has an annual yield of the order of 6-12 tons of saffron. Greek saffron has obtained a quality assurance certificate ISO 9002 and has acquired a certification mark as a product of “Protected Designation of Origin” (PDO) “Krokos Kozanis”. Recently, HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) has also been implemented.

The island of Chios is directly connected with the production of mastic (Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia). In 1938 the Chios Mastic Growers Association was founded, which until today has the exclusive access to the production of mastic, protects and promotes its trade, utilizes the product and enhances the income of producers. The cultivation of the tree is based on traditional optimized methods and this is because it is not amenable to technological improvements.

Dittany (Origanum dictamnus) is a small hairy shrub with a strong smell, which grows in calcareous rocks, in fragments and crevices of rocks, usually in shady places and at an altitude of 300 to 1500m. It is a species endemic to Crete and has been declared threatened due to overexploitation.

The cultivation of lavender (Figures 1-4) extends over many hundreds of acres in Thessaly, Macedonia and Thrace. There are only a few cases of lavender cultivated in agroforestry systems. Essential oil is produced and exported to Bulgaria. In this area, too, our country is disadvantaged because the added value of resale is reaped by Bulgarian producers. The choice of inappropriate genetic material for plantation resulted in many crops being affected by diseases and many others being abandoned due to non-disposal of the plantation product.

Crops with aromatic plants are a dynamic sector of particular interest which is constantly expanding. This is due to the strong consumer interest towards the use of natural products for health care, the development of research activities towards the utilization of aromatic and medicinal plants, the development of the industry of cosmetics and medicines that have as ingredients aromatic and medicinal plants, the development of the food industry towards the production of foods that contain aromatic plants in their ingredients, the increasing interest in haute cuisine where the use of aromatic plants is widespread, and the shift of chemical industries towards the production of products (e.g. household insecticides) with the use of plant raw materials.

Although Greece has excellent standards for crops with aromatic plants and the production of essential oils, it has not yet claimed the market share that corresponds to the country’s potential. The cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants can be combined with important forest species such as almond-leaved pear, black poplar and chestnut mainly for Northern Greece and with cypress, olive and carob trees further south, giving a special character to the cultivation and creating agroforestry systems. The intercropping of olives with aromatic and medicinal plants is feasible, and is already being applied in Lesvos island, where their antimicrobial, antibacterial and insect repellent properties can contribute significantly to the reduction of tree infestations. However, we must admit here that the quality of these aromatic medicinal plants will de facto be inferior because the limited sunshine due to the shading of the trees will lead to a reduced quality of essential oils and therefore to a lower quality. Nevertheless, the use of these plants inside crops is considered a positive measure.

Given the maintenance of the strong demand for aromatic-medicinal plants and essential oils by both the food industry and by consumers, the maintenance of the growth rate of the sector in the coming years, the increase in world prices and the increase in world exports, the transition to this very important sector of non-wood forest products should be made with coordinated actions and with clear planning. The intercropping of aromatic medicinal plants with forest species or even with cultivated trees is possible to the extent that the latter will not significantly affect the access of the former to direct sunlight. Our proposal is that tree species should be placed in the northern exhibition of the cultivated fields. This shift to the cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants has to be made immediately and with national planning , as opposed to collection from nature.

A WHITE PAPER AND A KNOWLEDGE REPOSITORY ON MEDITERRANEAN NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS

Kalliopi Stara

Researcher/lecturer

Laboratory of Ecology, Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, University campus, 45110, Ioannina kstara@uoi.gr

According to the definition by the FAO (1999), Non Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) are those goods derived from forests that are tangible and physical objects of biological origin other than wood. They can be collected from natural forests, but also produced on plantations and/or agroforestry systems. Typical examples are products such as cork and resin, aromatic, medicinal and fodder plants, edible foods, such as nuts, forest fruits, mushrooms and truffles, honey and other products related to animal husbandry or game, traditionally produced mainly in agroforestry systems and especially in those of the Mediterranean basin

NWFPs have an important place in European everyday life, where 90% of households regularly consume NWFPs, and 26% also collect various NWFPs at least once a year. The economic value of NWFPs collected in Europe amounts to €23 billion per year and shows an increasing trend. These products are important for a sustainable and multifunctional forest management and for a green and sustainable economy. Global and local challenges, such as climate change, land-use changes, uncontrolled harvesting, inadequate management, irregular trade, competition with non-renewably produced counterparts, lack of systematic research and frequently of proper regulation, affect the management, disposal and safe consumption of NWFPs.

In the framework of the INCREdible1 project (Innovation Networks for cork, resin and edibles in the Mediterranean basin) an international team worked on the drafting of a white paper on NWFPs, which has also been translated in Greek. This is a call for political action aiming to highlight the urgent need for initiatives and policies to: (i) ensure the maintenance and sustainability of NWFPs, (ii) create competitive, fair and sustainable value chains, (iii) improve research and transparency of relevant information, and (iv) create favorable conditions for policies, financing and innovation.

The white paper calls on the European Commission to promote coordinated interregional, national and regional programs, improve reporting on major NWFPs and encourage traceability, labelling and the use of information on the collection and production processes. It also calls on national and regional authorities to adopt innovative tax and labour regimes and implement traceability systems, but also sectoral organizations and companies to increase transparency in price-setting and encourage vertical and horizontal cooperation along the NWFPs value chains. Finally, it calls on international organizations and academia to support the implementation of the above actions, including the collection and easy access to data and statistics on NWFPs.

The white paper is accompanied by a repository of knowledge of successful examples and initiatives related to NWFPs. This includes 16 fact sheets from Greece concerning aromatic and medicinal plants, as well as mushrooms and truffles. It also includes 20 fact sheets of interest to the Greek public and available in Greek.

1 INCREdible project (2017-2021) aimed to support synergies between research and business innovation for NWFPs in the Mediterranean. It was coordinated by the Mediterranean Facility of the European Forest Institute (EFIMED) and involved 13 organizations from 8 countries. It was funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 program under grant agreement Nº 774632.

Further information:

White paper: Martínez de Arano et al. 2021. Non-wood forest products for people, nature and the green economy. Recommendations for policy priorities in Europe. A white paper based on lessons learned from around the Mediterranean. EFI and FAO, Barcelona (English version) / EFI and Department of Biological Applications and Technology, UOI, Ioannina (Greek version) https://efi.int/publications-bank/non-wood-forest-productspeople-nature-and-green-economy

INCREdible Factsheet repository for NWFPs of the Mediterranean basin: https://www.nwfps.org/factsheet-repository/