Municipalities
Geographical size
Human population
Number of livestock farmers
Livestock farming systems
Large carnivore species
Bear population
Wolf population
SOCIOECONOMIC CONTEXT
Located between the Rhodope Mountains and the plains of Eastern Thrace, Arriana forms a transitional landscape of low mountains, foothills, and fertile valleys. Its cultural mosaic, shaped by the long-standing coexistence of Christian and Muslim communities, constitutes a distinctive feature of Greece’s northern borderlands.
Local livelihoods have historically relied on a combination of transhumant and sedentary pastoralism, small-scale crop cultivation, and forestry. Tobacco, grain, and livestock production traditionally shaped the mixed rural economy, complemented by small family enterprises and remittances from outmigration.
Infrastructure limitations and restricted market access continue to hinder economic diversification, while both nature-based and cultural tourism remain underdeveloped.
The area faces pronounced demographic decline, marked by a shrinking and ageing population, and the progressive abandonment of traditional land uses. Agricultural intensification in the lowlands contrasts with marginalisation and social desertification of upland villages, accelerating land-use change and habitat fragmentation.
Despite these challenges, community cohesion and multicultural heritage persist, offering opportunities for sustainable rural development and cross-cultural resilience in Greece’s northeastern frontier.
FARMING CONTEXT
Farming in the area is characterised by small-scale, mixed crop–livestock systems that reflect the region’s deep-rooted agricultural traditions. Extensive grazing of sheep, goats, and cattle takes place across the foothill pastures, while lowland areas are cultivated mainly with tobacco, cereals, and fodder crops. Most holdings are family-run, with low levels of mechanisation and modest productivity. Transhumant pastoralism, once widespread, now survives only in a few communities, preserving traces of Thrace’s historical pastoral heritage.
In recent decades, farming has experienced significant decline due to demographic ageing, labour shortages, and diminishing economic viability. The contraction of tobacco cultivation – once a mainstay of income - has deepened reliance on EU agricultural subsidies and remittances from migration. Limited infrastructure and poor access to markets further constrain local development, while climate related risks, increasingly affect production.
Main challenges:
An ageing farmer population and limited generational renewal.
Declining profitability and growing dependency on EU subsidies.
Inadequate infrastructure and lack of processing facilities.
Predation by bears and wolves, causing economic strain and emotional stress to livestock owners.
Restrictions from recent outbreaks of sheep and goat pox (2025) and PPR (2024).
Administrative inefficiencies and low trust in compensation mechanisms (e.g. ELGA).
LOCAL CONFLICT ASSOCIATED WITH LARGE CARNIVORES
Number of attacks:
ELGA (the Greek Agricultural Insurance Organisation) is a public benefit organisation responsible for compensating for agricultural damage caused by natural phenomena, including attacks by wild animals such as wolves and bears. In 2022, ELGA recorded nine compensation claims in the study area all related to wolf attacks on cattle. However, these figures significantly underestimate the actual extent of the damage. Many incidents that do not meet ELGA’s eligibility criteria go unreported, and numerous breeders, frustrated with the compensation process, choose not to file claims.
Social Conflict:
Most attacks occur during grazing, although predators may enter farm facilities.
Poison baits targeting carnivores often kill shepherd dogs, leaving flocks unprotected.
Subsidy scandals fuel distrust; farmers feel falsely accused.
Outbreaks of sheep and goat pox are managed through lockdowns and flock culling, causing ongoing stress, financial loss, and uncertainty.
Wolf predation on hunting dogs contributes further to local tension and resentment.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.