Greek agriculture has undergone profound changes, shifting from subsistence farming tied to the “Mediterranean triad” (grains, olives, and grapes) to increasingly specialized production, subject to the challenges posed by the European Union, climate change, and technological modernization. Today, there is a tension between modernization, the international market, and the preservation of local peasant systems, with an increasing focus on specialization in a few high-yield crops. Traditionally, Greek agriculture has relied on the grain–olive–vine triad¹, supplemented by vegetables, legumes, and sheep and goat husbandry. Faced with often poor soils and severe water constraints, traditional practices (biennial crop rotation, fallow, mixed cropping, and grazing livestock on crops or fallow land) aimed to ensure subsistence rather than maximize production.
Starting in the 19th century, Greek agriculture began to modernize slowly, with the introduction of new crops, more mechanized techniques, and greater integration into the national market. Demographic changes, urbanization, and the rise of industry began to reduce the rural population, but most farms remained small and family-run, with a heavy reliance on manual labor. Greece’s accession to the European Union in 1981 marked a major turning point: the removal of customs barriers, access to funds from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and a moderate increase in farm income. Production increased slightly (wheat, corn, sugar beets, cotton, olive oil, goat meat), but Greek agriculture continued to face low structural productivity and competition from major European agricultural regions.
However, in Argos, a major transition has begun with the development of irrigation infrastructure. Orange groves have replaced wheat, and these plantations, which require far more water, have radically transformed the plain. The olive remains a pillar of Argolic agriculture but now occupies a clearly secondary position. Greece positions itself as one of the world’s leading producers of olive oil, with a growing emphasis on “organic” and “terroir-based” qualities to differentiate itself in European markets. At the heart of the plain are numerous food processing plants that process oranges and olives into juice or oil. The already arid Mediterranean climate is increasingly strained by drought, extreme heat, and the scarcity of water resources for irrigation. Extreme weather events are heightening uncertainties about the sustainability of the current production model.
1 : La plaine d'Argos, répercussions socio-économiques d'une spécialisation agricole. 1973. HECTOR J.