The Cyclades Chamber has launched a data-gathering initiative to document the conditions facing local producers and food-service businesses across the Cyclades islands.
The initiative follows the expansion of the Aegean Cuisine Network to include producers and their Cycladic products. The Chamber is now recording the current situation facing businesses in the primary and secondary sectors, as well as restaurants and other food-service businesses across the islands.
The Chamber is working with the General Secretariat for the Aegean and Island Policy and using a research methodology developed in cooperation with the Centre for Planning and Economic Research (KEPE).
Researchers are collecting data from producers, agricultural cooperatives, processing units and food-service businesses participating in the Aegean Cuisine Network.
The initiative aims to produce evidence-based policy proposals for decision-makers at both national and European level.
The Chamber said the research comes at a critical time, as discussions continue over a new European strategy for island regions. It stressed that identifying the real needs of island businesses has become more important than ever.
The survey is already underway and should conclude soon. The Chamber described the initial findings as particularly revealing.
High taxes, rising costs and labour shortages
The preliminary findings identify three major challenges to business sustainability: high taxation, rising energy and transport costs, and a shortage of workers.
The overwhelming majority of participants identified tax incentives and lower transport costs as priorities. According to the Chamber, both issues directly affect the competitiveness of businesses operating on the islands.
The findings also highlight growing tensions between tourism and agricultural production.
On some islands, tourism development has pushed local ecosystems close to their limits and reduced the land available for cultivation. The Chamber’s initial data indicates that agricultural production has fallen by as much as 80% in some areas.
Many producers have expressed concern that the primary sector is gradually losing ground to tourism development.
Water scarcity threatens local production
Beyond residential and tourism pressures, water scarcity has emerged as a critical issue for the future of local production.
The Chamber considers securing water resources essential to sustaining agricultural production and preserving the distinctive culinary identity of the Cyclades.
It also sees stronger links between local producers and the food-service sector as a key priority.
“Through the Aegean Cuisine Network, we invest in cooperation and networking so that local production can gain an even stronger presence in the islands’ tourism offering,” the Chamber said.
Aegean Cuisine Network expands local food links
The Aegean Cuisine Network currently includes 190 restaurants, 146 producers and 638 local products from across the Cyclades.
The network represents a collective effort to protect and promote the quality, local character and authenticity of the Aegean’s culinary identity.
The Chamber said the survey data will not simply document existing problems but will also provide a valuable guide for the interventions needed to address them.
It stressed that its strategic vision for the future of the Cyclades centres on local production, authenticity and sustainable development.
With appropriate institutional support and cooperation among the relevant stakeholders, the Chamber said, the islands can better support the people who work every day to keep each Cycladic island authentic, productive and sustainable.
