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Western Greece, called the "Natural park of Greece" constitutes the region with the bigger growth of Organic Agriculture in our country. In the region activate two organizations or organic producers,
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Bionetork of Western Greece is an inter-professional organization with the legal form an urban non profit company. It was created in 1998 and has today roughly 450 members (Organic Farmers, Geotechnical Scientists, Tradesmen and Manufacturers of Biological products), mainly in the Aitoloakarnania, but also in the wider region of Western Greece.
It is member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements IFOAM, founding member of Pan-Hellenic Federation of Organic Producers, participates in the "Mediterranean network of Organic Agriculture" and in the "Network of organic agriculture of region of Western Greece"
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 Bionetwork, up to today, has developed multifaceted action concerning the growth, distribution and support of organic agriculture in the wider region.
The main axes, round which the organization develops activities for the achievement of its main aim, are:
- Briefing of citizens (consumers and farmers) of the region with regard to possibilities of organic agriculture.
- Projection and promotion of organicl products in Greece and in the abroad.
- Educate organic farmers and benefit of geotechnical advices to them
Indicatively we can report certain from the actions of organisation:
- Creation and operation of Office of Briefing in the Mesologgj from 1998 up today.
- Creation and operation of three (3) Offices of Briefing of Citizens in the Agrinio, Patras and Pirgosr, in collaboration with the Organisations of Organic Farmers in Ilia and Achaia.
- Organisation more from 15 meetings in the more important cities and small towns in the region.
- Realisation of five educational programs for organic farmers in collaboration with educational Centers of Aitoloakarnania's Prefecture.
- Realisation of first International Congress on the subject "Problems and Prospects of goats' and sheep's Organic Breeding" on 17-18 January in Agrinio.
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It continuously takes part, the last years, with its own kiosk, in the most important International Exhibitions of Organic Products in Europe:
- In BIOFACH in Germany (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004).
- In ORGANEX in England (2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003).
- Allocates three permanent employees Agronomists, the one from which has postgraduate in animal production, which supervise the cultures and the veterinary surgeon exploitations of organic farmers- members of Bionetwork.
- It has achieved the total produced, from the members of Bionetwork, organic products, to be exported in countries of Europe.
- In quite few of our farms, we have build traditional accommodation for our visitors, where someone can find our famous hospitality and taste traditional Greek dishes made from organic product.
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Associoation of Organic Producers in Ilia was founded in 1996 with chairman Andrea Varotso and 27 organic producers - members. From 1996 up to today the association has made enough steps to organize producers in the prefecture of Ilia, so that they are today certified 120 organic producers.
The main actions of the Association are:
- The creation of scientific Team for the benefit of services in organic producers.
- The creation of organic farmers partner-ship for the promotion and marketing of our products
- From 2002 has been created the Union of Organic Producers in Ilia’s prefecture for the promotion organic agriculture in the Prefecture.
- Have been realized meetings on the subject of organic agriculture and trainig excursions in reports and ranches
- The Association has taken part in exhibitions of organic products in Greece and in abroad.
The main products of the Association are olive oil, wine, Corinthian grape, citrus, watermelons, the melons and vegetables.
| NAVELINA ORANGES: |
2.500.000 kg |
| MORO AND SANGOUINI ORANGES: |
500.000 kg |
| VALENCIA ORANGES: |
750.000 kg |
| TANGERINES: |
500.000 kg |
| LEMONS: |
200.000 kg |
| OLIVE OIL: |
150.000 kg |
| OLIVES: |
50.000 kg |
| KIWIS: |
500.000 kg |
| FETA CHEESE: |
200.000 kg |
| WINE: |
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| GRAPE: |
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The main aim of two organizations is the distribution of organic agriculture in the wider region. Organic Producers in the region, in collaboration with the units of process and standardization that are found in Western Greece offer a big range from organic products as:
CITRUS FRUITS, KIWIS, OLIVES, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PEACHES, APRICOTS, GRAPES, HORTICULTURAL, VEGETABLES, CHEESE, MEAT, WINE etc.
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The effectiveness of the mentioned before activities of the two Organizations, except the other, it is possible to be realized from the growth of ORGANIC AGRICULTURE and LIVESTOCK-BREEDING in the Region of Western Greece.
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Number of organic cultivated land /Prefecture (acres)
| Prefecture |
1997 |
1999 |
2001 |
2003 |
| Ait/nia |
1.782 |
6.226 |
27.394 |
37.671 |
| Αhaia |
23.589 |
23.020 |
22.873 |
23.069 |
| Ilia |
1.093 |
1.928 |
5.006 |
7.313 |
| Total |
26.464 |
31.174 |
55.273 |
68.053 |
Organic livestock / Prefecture (2003)
| Prefecture |
Cattles |
Sheep and goats |
| Aitoloakarnania |
2.030 |
28.000 |
| Magnisia |
230 |
25.296 |
| Kefalonia |
567 |
22.034 |
| Evia |
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1.928 |
| Chalkidiki |
192 |
12.448 |
| Drama |
2107 |
7.333 |
| Lakonia |
868 |
2.935 |
| Messinia |
868 |
7.650 |
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