French newspaper Le Monde highlights the huge success of products of Greek origin in France. “Feta, olive oil, wine, organic vegetables… Agricultural and food products from Greece are exported in huge quantities, thanks to the changing economy in this southern European country, which is now aiming to conquer the French market,” the newspaper reports, underlining, that the 2022 edition of SIAL, the International Food Fair, marked a dynamic return for Greece, which is represented with 311 companies in Villepinte, north of Paris, ranking 5th in terms of the number of exhibitors, ahead of major players such as the United States.
“This increased presence reflects the importance that the agri-food sector has received in our economic development”, explains the Secretary-General, responsible for economic matters at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Smyrlis, with the newspaper stressing that “indeed, the Greek economy has been strongly reoriented towards exports in recent years”.
The publication highlights the 6.6% increase in the value of Greek exports from 2016 to 2021, but also that from 2021, after the fall due to the pandemic, which exceeded 4.8 billion euros in cumulative value, largely thanks to agricultural products and food, which find buyers, especially among consumers with high purchasing power in European Union. 67% of Greek exports are within the EU, with 16% to Italy, 15% to Germany, and 9% to the UK, reports Le Monde, stressing that “Greece is now hoping to boost the trend in France, to which 4% of its exports are already directed”, with Mr. Smyrlis stating: “Our producers work with high-quality materials. We are in tune with the growing appetite we see here for natural and organic farming. It’s no wonder that the French market is opening up more and more to our products year after year.”
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The piece goes on to make reference to the “Greek diet, which is considered the most modern alternative to the famous Mediterranean diet, especially for its health benefits, which were highlighted in the SIAL report. At this point, the newspaper highlights Greece’s fight at a legal level to strengthen its brand internationally, recalling the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in favour of the Hellenic Republic regarding the “feta” issue, it emphasises that “this decision strengthens Greece in its certification strategy, while the country has already protected around a hundred products with labels of origin from redcurrants to ouzo spirits.”
“More good news for the Greeks is that all this dynamism is attracting capital”. Indicatively, Mr. Smyrlis emphasised that “foreign direct investments in the sector have increased sevenfold in volume in the last three years”. In fact, the publication emphasises “The senior official sees in this, the result of the policy followed by the conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose government reduced the level of corporate tax, while channeling hundreds of millions of euros into the country’s agriculture and aquaculture, especially thanks to European funding, with the idea of supporting producers investing in digital and green innovations”.
