[Scpg] Greek 'Potato Revolution' Spreads - economic hardship relocalises food supply

[Wesley Roe and Santa Barbara Permaculture Network]

Greek 'Potato Revolution' Spreads - economic hardship relocalises food 
supply
Tony Rollinson | Thursday, 15th March 2012
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/news/1503121560/greek-potato-revolution-spreads-economic-hardship-relocalises-food-supply

Austerity measures have led to what is being called the Greek 'Potato 
Revolution'. As incomes fall and retail prices rise, Greeks are cutting 
out the middle man, paying up to three times less than they usually 
would for potatoes and buying them straight from the farmers themselves. 
Is this a precursor of transition culture and does it point towards 
people adopting, as we would say in permaculture, more beneficial 
relationships? This report from France's Observers network makes for 
exciting reading.


The Greek Potato Revolution
In the Greek town of Katerini the Pieria Volunteer Action Team set up a 
website which encourages people to order potatoes directly from local 
farmers. The farmers get to sell their potatoes for a higher price than 
they would to distributors – but for less than what supermarkets charge 
customers – so both farmers and customers win. Other Greek cities are 
following the scheme, the demand is huge and olive oil, olives, meat, 
wheat and rice are set to be the next produce made available.

It is a fast moving story and has led to supermarkets slashing their 
prices. Read the full article and comments here: 
http://observers.france24.com/content/20120307-potato-revolution-greeks-start-buying-potatoes-straight-farmers-supermarkets-produce-katerini-thessaloniki


Permaculture In A Nutshell - Greek edition
The Greek version of Patrick Whitefield's Permaculture In A Nutshell is 
available from the Greek group Dromi Synthesis, if you are in Greece do 
visit their website and make contact with them.

We would love to hear from you if you are encouraging such schemes 
elsewhere in the UK or Europe.

The "Potato Revolution": Greeks start buying potatoes straight from farmers



As incomes fall and retail prices rise, Greeks have found an ingenious 
way to pay three times less than they usually would for potatoes.

The craze, which some are already starting to call the “Potato 
Revolution,” began in the northern town of Katerini two weeks ago. A 
group of local activists set up a website to allow people to order 
potatoes directly from local farmers, and then pick them up in a parking 
lot on the weekends. Their project was an instant hit. In the past two 
weeks, they’ve already sold 100 tons of potatoes, and inspired 
agricultural students in Thessaloniki to launch a similar program. 
Dozens more cities across Greece are planning to follow suit.

Since the farmers sell the potatoes for a higher price than they would 
be able to sell them to distributors – but for less than what 
supermarkets charge customers – both the farmers and their customers win.




Every little bit helps for crisis-hit Greeks. Austerity measures have 
led to pensions and salaries being repeatedly slashed, as well as to a 
steep rise in unemployment – one in five Greeks are now jobless. On top 
of this, the government has raised taxes in a bid to curb its debt.

CONTRIBUTORS

Elias Tsolakidis

“We thought, why not cut out the middleman?”

Elias Tsolakidis is a member of the Pieria Volunteer Action Team, a 
group of volunteers who launched the potato project in Katerini.


We first got the idea a month ago, when we heard about desperate farmers 
protesting against how little vendors were willing to pay for their 
potatoes. Instead of selling them to middlemen at a loss or letting them 
rot, they decided to just give them away to people on the street for 
free. So we thought, why not cut out the middleman?

Farmers here used to sell their potatoes for 0,12 cents a kilo, even 
though it cost them nearly twice that to produce. We set up a website 
for people to order potatoes and come pick them up in a parking lot, 
straight out of the farmers’ trucks. The farmers sell them for 0,25 
cents a kilo – nearly three times less than they cost in the 
supermarkets! So both farmers and customers benefit.

“A funny thing happened – the local supermarkets started slashing their 
prices”

So far we’ve had two pick-up days: on the first, two weeks ago, the 
farmers sold 25 tons of potatoes to more than 500 people. On the second, 
last Saturday, they sold 75 tons to more than 1,100 people. I never 
dreamed we would have such success! All sorts of people came to buy the 
potatoes – some of them were poor or unemployed; some were better-off, 
but wanted to help support the initiative. I believe the potato sales 
have gained such popularity because we’re all united now – there are no 
real social classes any more; everyone is struggling.

A funny thing happened – as soon as people starting buying these cheap 
potatoes, all the local supermarkets started making potato “offers” 
where they slashed their prices from 0,70 cents a kilo to just 0,35 
cents… But that’s still more expensive than what we’re offering.

We’ve been getting calls from people in cities all around Greece – even 
in the capital – who want to set up similar programs. It’s very 
exciting. The demand is huge. Soon, we’ll be offering more than just 
potatoes – we’re currently polling local citizens on the products they 
need the most. We’re considering flour, rice, oil, and more…”