Cooperatives play a significant role within organizational models by providing essential services such as technical support, advocacy, information, knowledge, and guidance, which contribute to the production of high-quality animal products in a safe, efficient, and responsible manner. Furthermore, cooperatives aim to enhance the livelihoods of marginalized populations and address consumer needs. In this context, a study focusing on the status of women’s cooperatives in the Eastern Mediterranean offers valuable insights into women’s participation in economic and social life, as well as their challenges and expectations. This research aims to evaluate the status, perspectives, participation, activities, and expectations of women’s cooperatives in Lebanon and Turkey. The findings indicate that 90% of respondents in Lebanon and 45.5% in Turkey expressed satisfaction with their respective cooperatives. Additionally, 90% of Lebanese respondents and 59.1% of Turkish respondents would recommend that women establish their own cooperatives. The most common motivation for forming cooperatives in both countries was the belief that women are stronger when they collaborate. Furthermore, 75% of respondents in Lebanon and 45.4% in Turkey believe that cooperatives are suitable for conducting business, while those who disagreed emphasized the need for specialized traders to address specific business requirements. Respondents who expressed dissatisfaction with cooperative collaboration often mentioned difficulties in making joint decisions and challenges in group cohesion. These findings underline the importance of cooperatives in enhancing women’s roles in economic activities and the challenges they face in both Lebanon and Turkey. Despite these challenges, women’s cooperatives continue to be perceived as a valuable means of empowerment and a key strategy for fostering collaboration and economic growth.

The Mediterranean basin is a climate change hotspot characterised by strong environmental heterogeneity and high vulnerability of pastoral systems. This study investigates how climate and vegetation dynamics may affect rangelands and pastoral systems across contrasting climatic zones. We analysed eleven case studies spanning temperate, semi-arid, and arid zones using an ensemble of three global circulation models under optimistic (SSP245) and pessimistic (SSP585) scenarios. Vegetation changes were modelled through spectral indices (NDVI and SAVI) using the MaxEnt algorithm to assess land suitability for forage resources. Results indicate a consistent warming trend (+3 to +7 degrees C by 2070), coupled with heterogeneous precipitation responses, with the strongest declines in semi-arid zones. Vegetation responses were highly context-dependent, ranging from shrubland expansion in temperate zones to increases in bare soil and discontinuous grasslands in semi-arid and arid systems. Some mountainous and northern areas may act as local refugia, showing milder changes or localised greening effects. These dynamics translate into differentiated impacts on pastoral systems. Water scarcity emerges as a key constraint, particularly in semi-arid and arid zones, while vegetation changes may affect forage availability, quality, and seasonality. Livestock systems could be increasingly exposed to heat stress, forage shortages, and changing disease dynamics, highlighting strong spatial heterogeneity in vulnerability. Therefore, adaptation strategies should be tailored to context conditions. Key strategies include improved water management, livestock mobility, opportunistic forage cultivation, and the use of locally adapted breeds. However, these may entail risks of maladaptation where they increase pressure on ecosystems or depend on socio-economic constraints. Overall, linking climate projections with system-level analyses is essential to support context-sensitive adaptation pathways and enhance the resilience of Mediterranean pastoral systems.

Rural areas have undergone profound restructuring in recent decades, due to renewable energy projects that often overlap with traditional agricultural land uses. While most studies focus on technical issues, policy measures and social acceptability, research on the material socio-economic disruptions to rural life and the specific role of local territorial intelligence is lacking. Using a qualitative method, we investigated the impacts of photovoltaic parks on two distinct rural communities in northern Greece. Findings indicate that these projects caused significant socio-economic shifts, including decline in livestock and agriculture and social fragmentation. Limited territorial intelligence resulted in communities becoming "passive non-recipients" of the transition. This work highlights the need for participatory governance and "territorial observatories" to ensure energy projects contribute to sustainable rural development.

In this study, an empirical analysis was applied to measure the efficiency level of dairy farms in Cyprus and estimate the capacity of sheep farmers to support the increasing demand for halloumi cheese. Data Envelopment Analysis was used on data from 50 dairy sheep farms in Cyprus, which operate under extensive, semi-intensive, and intensive systems. The main features of the most efficient farms are presented, and a comparative financial analysis is implemented between the efficient and less efficient farms. The results indicate room for improvement in extensive and semi-intensive dairy sheep farming and verify that the transition that takes place in sheep farming towards more intensive systems constitutes the optimal approach. The most efficient farms operate under semi-intensive and intensive dairy sheep farming and achieve higher milk yields than the farms operating under extensive systems. Feeding constitutes the main cost driver, exceeding 60% in both efficient and inefficient farms, while labor wages and fixed capital cost varies between 25% and 30% of the total production cost for both efficiency groups. The findings indicate that the farms should utilize economies of scale to reduce production costs and utilize fixed capital endowments at full capacity.

Global food insecurity currently affects over 30 % of the world's population, highlighting the need to understand how agricultural systems can be optimized to reduce resource pressures while maintaining productivity. Irrigation is critical for crop production in semi-arid and arid regions such as the Mediterranean, yet it accounts for substantial freshwater use and energy consumption, with associated environmental impacts. In this study, we assess the impacts of crop reallocation on irrigation water, energy demand, and direct CO2 emissions across the Mediterranean. Using a spatially explicit optimization framework integrated with hydrological modelling, we evaluate 32 crops grouped into nine categories, explicitly accounting for irrigation water sources and methods. Our results indicate that optimized crop distributions could reduce irrigation water demand by up to 80 % (70 km3/year), lower energy requirements by up to 85 % (72 x 106 GJ/year), and cut direct CO2 emissions by up to 84 %, without reducing overall food production. Beyond resource savings, we explore the economic and social implications of crop reallocation, noting that less water-intensive crops may be less profitable or culturally less accepted, underscoring the need for supportive policies and incentives. The framework is adaptable to other water-stressed regions, enabling the assessment of trade-offs between water, energy, and carbon under locally specific conditions. By providing a quantitative evaluation of the potential environmental and resource impacts of alternative cropping strategies, this study offers a robust tool for understanding how agricultural systems can be managed to improve sustainability, resilience, and resource efficiency under climate and water constraints.

This second volume of short-paper proceedings contains a selection of 35 short papers presented at the 11th International Conference on Information and Communication technologies in Agriculture, Food & Environment (HAICTA 2024) that took place in Karlovasi, Samos, Greece, on 17–20 October 2024 [...]

This paper examines the farming systems and operational structures in the Region of Western Macedonia (RWM), Greece and constructs a typology of farms based on structural, operational, and socio-economic characteristics. Agriculture remains a vital pillar of the regional economy, particularly in the context of RWM’s ongoing transition to a post-lignite development model. Using farm-level data from the 2018 Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified four latent dimensions of farm heterogeneity—income and productivity, asset base, land size, and labour structure. Hierarchical and K-means cluster analysis revealed three distinct farm types: (1) medium-sized, high-efficiency farms with moderate reliance on subsidies (30% of the sample); (2) small-scale, family farms with modest productivity and limited capitalisation (48%); and (3) large, asset-rich farms exhibiting structural inefficiencies and lower output per hectare (22%). These findings highlight structural vulnerabilities, particularly the predominance of undercapitalised smallholdings, and provide a data-driven foundation for Thdesigning differentiated policies that support farm resilience, generational renewal, and sustainable rural development.

ABSTRACTThis study investigates climate change impacts on spontaneous vegetation, focusing on the Mediterranean basin, a hotspot for climatic changes. Two case study areas, Monti Sibillini (central Italy, temperate) and Sidi Makhlouf (Southern Tunisia, arid), were selected for their contrasting climates and vegetation. Using WorldClim's CMCC‐ESM2 climate model, future vegetation distribution was predicted for 2050 and 2080 under SSP 245 (optimistic) and 585 (pessimistic) scenarios. Two spectral indices, NDVI (temperate area) and SAVI (arid area), served as vegetation proxies, classified into three classes using K‐means (NDVI: high = mainly associated with woodlands, medium = shrublands, continuous grasslands and crops, low = discontinuous grasslands, bare soil, and rocks; SAVI: high = mainly associated with woods, olive trees, and crops, medium = shrublands and sparse olive trees, low = bare soil and saline areas). Classes validated with ESA WorldCover 2020 data and sampled via 1390 presence‐only points. A set of 33 environmental variables (topography, soil, and bioclimatic) was screened using Pearson correlation matrices, and predictive models were built using four algorithms: MaxEnt, Random Forest, XG Boost, and Neural Network. Results revealed increasing temperatures and declining precipitation in both regions, confirming Mediterranean climate trends. Vegetation changes varied by area: in the temperate area, woodlands and shrublands were stable, but discontinuous grasslands expanded. In the arid area, woodlands gained suitable habitat, while bare soil declined under the pessimistic SSP 585 scenario. Both areas showed an upward shift for shrublands and grasslands. The models indicated significant shifts in areal distribution and environmental conditions, affecting habitat suitability and ecosystem dynamics. MaxEnt emerged as the most reliable algorithm for small presence‐only datasets, effectively predicting habitat suitability. The findings highlight significant vegetation redistribution and altered ecosystem dynamics due to climate change, underscoring the importance of these models in planning for future ecological challenges.

This study develops a toolkit of sustainability indicators to analyze the economic, environmental, and social performance of various pasture-based production systems rearing Karagkouniko sheep (both specialized and mixed), and compares it with the intensive Lacaune production system in the same region. The analysis showed that despite the lower milk productivity, the group of specialized livestock Karagkouniko farms was more profitable compared to the Lacaune (35% higher net profit) production system, mainly due to savings in purchased feedstuff (64% lower expenses). This implies that grazing—if properly managed—can indeed enhance the profitability of farms. The group of mixed Karagkouniko farms—cultivating crops for both feedstuff and markets—was the least profitable group (−144.76 per ewe) as well as the least efficient in terms of use of energy (EUR 4.66 of output per EUR 1 of energy cost) and agrochemical inputs (537.2 kg of fertilizers and 3.3 liters of pesticides per ha). This suggests that strong organizational skills are required to effectively manage both crop and livestock production. Trade-offs were also observed between the sustainability dimensions. To address these trade-offs and ensure a transition to more sustainable agriculture, a comprehensive framework should be developed, integrating a mix of socioeconomic and agro-environmental schemes.

Environmental degradation combined with the need to ensure food security for a rapidly growing world population has prompted the adoption of Sustainable Weed Management Practices (SWMPs), which are expected to reduce crop losses while preserving natural resources. However, evidence shows that farmers are reluctant to adopt them, and European farming remains dependent on chemical herbicides. The objective of this study is to analyze the adoption of SWMPs in Greece by identifying common factors that may explain the information (variance) included in each of two initial sets of variables, separately describing the following: (i) factors that hinder the adoption of SWMPs in Greece; (ii) factors and strategies to promote the use of SWMPs in the country. To achieve this purpose, 121 farmers cultivating annual arable crops in the Region of Thessaly in Central Greece were surveyed by means of a structured questionnaire. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce both initial sets of variables and categorize farmers’ responses into two smaller sets of uncorrelated components (dimensions) without missing valuable information, the analysis yielded five factors that limit the adoption of SWMPs (“Costs and availability of resources”; “Environment and land ownership”; “Compatibility and easiness of use”; “Economic performance”; “Social capital and education”) as well as four factors to promote their use (“Policy, research and Cooperatives”; “Training and mandatory regulations”; “Technology and networking”; “Targeted approaches”). The derived factors can be used in terms of policy objectives, as each dimension represents different aspects to be considered when developing effective strategies and integrated policies for the evolution and further expansion of SWMPs.

Livestock plays a crucial role in the global food system, not only as an important source of nutrients but also as a means of economic and social well-being. It constitutes a critical parameter of agricultural production in Mediterranean countries, with the majority of farms still having a relatively small herd size and depending largely on family labor. The purpose of this study is to record and evaluate the perceptions of livestock farmers in the Region of Western Macedonia, Greece (which represents a typical paradigm of an agricultural region), regarding the future prospects and the actions taken to ensure the sustainability of their farms. The research is based on a survey carried out from May to October, 2024, on ruminant farmers. Selective breeding and crossbreeding with higher-productivity breeds are some of the genetic improvements that are generally applied to increase productivity and were, therefore, investigated in this study. Through gradual crossbreeding, farmers attempt to improve the composition of their initial herds by incorporating high-productivity traits—although without officially participating in any recognized improvement program. This increases the risk of extinction for indigenous breeds, which are abandoned for use by the farmers. Our results also showed that most livestock farms derive from inheritances, with many livestock farmers practicing grazing mainly in mountainous areas and still rearing indigenous breeds. From the farmers’ point of view, more information and education regarding market conditions are needed. Furthermore, the sustainability of farms largely depends on subsidies, which are crucial due to difficulties in economic viability, particularly in mountainous areas. Encouraging the support of market differentiation and public awareness for the nutritional value of products derived from local breeds may serve as a promising agrobiodiversity conservation strategy.

Driven by numerous factors, in the last decades a constant decline in pastoral systems is witnessed in numerous Mediterranean areas. Previous research has shown that pastoral systems share common features such as low productivity and low production costs even if the latter do not always counterbalance the former. However, in general little attention has been paid on the economic performance of pastoral farms and the analysis of main drivers of revenues and costs. In this paper, the economic performance of Mediterranean pastoral sheep farms is investigated with a view to provide a deeper understanding of strong and weak aspects in their operation and respond to common discussions about pastoralism and its future trajectories. The analysis is based on primary technical and economic data from pastoral farms rearing sheep from eight territories of seven Mediterranean countries (Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Turkiye, France, Italy, Algeria). Typologies of pastoral sheep farms were developed in each territory based on criteria which were relevant and specific to each one of them. Then, using a questionnaire that was specifically designed for the activity, detailed technical and economic data were collected from representative farms from each type. The analysis revealed significant differences across countries and types in terms of farm organization structure, use of local resources and choice of activities, all of which are reflected in indicators of economic performance. The role of income support was very important in EU pastoral systems while for the non-EU countries local markets played a more important role for product sales. There is a need to support successful pastoral examples that can orient Mediterranean systems towards diversification and sustainable use of resources. An enabling policy framework and further research are required to promote well-informed discussions and policy making.

Radiometric vegetation indices are considered good indicators of vegetation health and can contribute to explaining its current and future evolutions. This study is carried out in the arid mountain rangeland of Toujane (southeast of Tunisia). The aim is to predict how climate change will affect the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) values under dryland conditions. Current and future SAVI indices are analyzed using the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt). The Canadian Earth System Model version 5 (CanESM5) represents the data source of two future climatic scenarios. These last, called Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP245, SSP585), concern four time periods (2021–2040, 2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100). Three topographic, twelve soil, and nineteen climatic variables are undertaken during each period. The main results of the jackknife test show that temperature, precipitation, and some soil variables are the main factors influencing SAVI indices. Specifically, they affect plant growth and vegetation cover, which in turn modify the SAVI index. Based on the area under the receiving curve, the model shows high predictive accuracy for a high SAVI (AUC = 0.88 − 0.92). These findings show that land management strategies may be incumbent upon to reduce the vulnerability linked to climate change in Toujane rangelands.

Abstract Legume crops, the production of which is related to their use in animal nutrition (referred to in this study as “legumes for livestock—LL” and include species such as bean, lupin, pea, vetch and clover), have positive effects on the economic performance of farms and environmental outcomes, although their relation to sustainable weed management practices (SWMP) has received limited attention. The expansion of LL in Europe is limited due to market constraints, despite important policy incentives. This study was designed to investigate whether a policy-oriented Scenario (S1) or a market-based Scenario (S2) could induce the expansion of the cultivation of LL as well as to examine the possible impact on the economic performance of farming systems, including cost savings related to pest management. A farm typology was developed according to the level of expenses of farms for crop protection and their implemented SWMP. Using technical and economic data from 45 farms that cultivate annual arable crops in Greece, with special emphasis on LL, a Linear Programming model was constructed to examine the potential role of each one of the three identified farm types in the expansion of LL in Central Greece (Baseline Solution—BS). Following the BS, the effects of the two Scenarios were examined through a Price Parametric Programming approach. The solutions revealed that the valorization of LL had a significant economic potential for all farm types. In addition, it was found that a substantial policy incentive of increasing the coupled payments of LL by 128% (S1) can have an equivalent impact on the expansion of LL as modest levels of market interventions—through the achievement of higher yields or/and higher selling prices—to increase the revenues of LL by 59% (S2). Farms that relied more on chemical pesticides could play a more decisive role in expanding LL. The novel aspect is related to the investigation of the economic performance of different farm types cultivating LL with a specific focus on potentially higher profitability related to SWMP. Furthermore, this study contributed to the “policy versus market solutions” debate toward the expansion of LL.

Sustainable Weed Management Practices (SWMPs) are currently underrepresented in European cropping systems despite considerable attention from the research and policymaking communities. In public discourse, their adoption is associated with low yields, high initial investment costs, additional machinery requirements, elevated labor demands and limited or uncertain profitability. Nevertheless, little is known regarding their economic effects when implemented under real-life conditions at the farm level. This study aims to determine the impact of SWMPs against broomrape parasitism on the organization, management and economic performance of industrial tomato farms, considering that broomrapes (Orobanche and Phelipanche species) are a major impediment to the expansion of key crops in the Mediterranean basin due to their resistance toward commonly applied herbicides. For the purpose of economic appraisal, detailed technical and economic data were collected in 2022 from 76 arable farms cultivating industrial tomato in the Region of Thessaly in Central Greece. By combining Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Two-Step Cluster Analysis (TSCA), a farm typology according to the implementation level of different SWMPs was developed. Based on this typology, a comparative technical and economic analysis revealed important differences in terms of structure, resource utilization and economic performance across the various farm types. “Holistic” farms, which exhibited the highest adoption levels of SWMPs, implemented an effective broomrape management strategy and achieved superior economic outcomes, evidenced by a remarkable net profit of 488.5 €/ha. Conversely, this was either negative or nearly negligible in farm types characterized by low adoption rates, indicating a lack of economic viability in the long run. The findings of this study offer useful recommendations for farm-level decision making, advisory support and policy design toward the promotion of SWMPs.

The environmental and economic advantages of sustainable weed management practices (SWMP) can only be realized if farmers are willing to adopt them, but, although their economic performance has been adequately assessed, their social acceptability remains underexplored. This study applies an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to examine the factors influencing the adoption of SWMP in Central Greece, based on responses from 121 arable farmers. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the results disclosed that the key constructs of TAM ("Perceived usefulness", "Perceived ease of use", "Intention to use") have a significant positive impact on "Actual use" of SWMP. In the extended TAM, "Actual use" is significantly and positively influenced by "Facilitating conditions", "Participation in training" and "Personal innovativeness", while "Information sources", "Source of income" and "Farming experience" cannot be included as significant predictors of SWMP adoption. Several options and implications are discussed towards a more expanded use of SWMP in Greece.

Farm Advisory constitutes one of the most important tools to support rural development in the European Union and is also an integral part of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the evaluation of the two calls for certification of Farm Advisors in Greece, which were addressed to individuals. The evaluation was based on a questionnaire survey of candidates who participated to the online certification procedure. The analysis is based on descriptive statistics methods and shows that overall most respondents were satisfied with most Modules, although they suggest to provide better links between scientific evidence and practical applications. Although there are serious limitations that do not permit to draw generalized conclusions, the evaluation procedure pointed out specific domains that require improvements and, especially, that a more robust evaluation system is required.

The loss of local sheep breeds (LSB) and Animal Genetic Resources in general threatens the nutrition and livelihood security of the present and future generations. Market forces and new production patterns are the main factors that have led to the underestimation of the Total Economic Value (TEV) (i.e. the aggregated use and non-use values) of LSB and, consequently, to their substitution by high-yielding imported ones. The objective of this study is to estimate the TEV of the Kalaritiko sheep (KaS) using the Ecosystem Services (ES) framework. For this purpose, a choice experiment was implemented analyzing the societal preferences of Attica Region dwellers regarding the most important ES stemming from the traditional, pasture-based production system (PPs) of KaS. Our results show that important use and non-use values are relevant to KaS PPs. The findings of this study call for the establishment of an incentive mechanism, where reformed agri-environmental policies can work synergistically with new marketing strategies, contributing to the valorization and protection of KaS and so its traditional PPs.

Pastoralism constitutes an extensive livestock system offering a feasible alternative toward agro-ecological transition. People who are engaged in the sector are expected to have a high level of skills related to knowledge and experience of nature and climate, management of resources, and other significant elements that comprise Traditional Ecological Knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to present the emergence and operation of “Pastoral Schools” in various Mediterranean countries, which offer training to people who wish to be professionally involved in pastoralism. In particular, the co-creation approach that takes place within the PASTINNOVA project is presented, which involves the establishment of Regional Living Labs bringing together actors from several Mediterranean countries who are interested in analyzing the operation of pastoral schools, exchange relevant experiences and knowledge, and deliver solutions that will upscale the performance of these schools and permit their operation to be expanded in other Mediterranean settings.

In this study, a parametric programming model was developed in order to deliver optimal management plans for various types of farms rearing endangered Greek sheep breeds under three distinct scenarios. The first scenario investigated the optimal internal organization of farms (i.e., management practices and resource allocation strategies that increase profitability of farms) under current market conditions (e.g., product prices) without, however, considering subsidies and compensations. The second assessed the impact of an agri-environmental support scheme on farm optimal structure and socioeconomic performance. The third investigated the effects of integrating farms into value chains and niche markets where premium prices prevail. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey was conducted in the wider region of Epirus and Thessaly, collecting management data from 16 farms rearing (i) Kalaritiko, (ii) Orino Epiru and (iii) Katsika rare sheep breeds. The main finding of this study was that the optimal internal organization of farms is essential for their self-reliance and viability. Therefore, it should be the basis in the designing of any initiative aimed at the preservation and valorization of local breeds. Furthermore, the analysis showed that a niche marketing strategy (i.e., a premium price strategy) can have a broader positive impact on farms structure and socioeconomic performance, particularly those engaged in cheese production, compared to an agri-environmental scheme. However, due to the fact that both initiatives possess limitations that may render them inefficient under specific external conditions, the development of an integrated incentive mechanism, which will combine both policy schemes and market-based initiatives, appeared to be a more effective strategy for the long-term viability of farms.