State farmland redistribution processes in Greece and farmers’ attitudes: A case study of the Karla basin

Abstract

The drained Karla basin in the Thessaly region of Central Greece has been used for decades as arable land without an existing policy that takes the significance of the former wetland into account. In order to reestablish the ecological balance of the area, however, an artificial lake was established and a series of technical works conducted. After the government's decision to restore the area, a policy of rural state-land allocation has been advocated to promote environmental and social sustainability. Agro-policies created for farmland holdings, crop suitability or crop diversification can profoundly affect the preferences of Greek farmers and regional social dynamics. In addition, negotiations between the state authorities, the farmers, and between the farmers themselves, can be used to reveal potential connections between the farmers' livelihoods and attitudes. This article, following a parallel mixed methods study, attempts to demonstrate the way in which land policy influences state-owned agricultural land distribution in the wetland area. By integrating farmers' opinions from six villages towards the current area's conditions, we attempt to highlight that stable political decisions are important for sustainable development. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd