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<p>This paper critically examines the characteristics of low-intensity, small-scale family farming and related aspects of farming sustainability, in a marginally productive peri-urban landscape, that of the capital town of Lesvos Island, Mytilini, Greece. These aspects and characteristics are explored on the basis of farmers’-landowners’ perceptions and visions of local landscape/land use change, through a questionnaire survey. Our findings indicate that production is basically aimed for self-consumption; such practices yield low incomes but bear high cultural values, mostly run by hobby and part-time farmers-landowners, lacking agricultural education. Olive crops are the dominant, but decreasing, form of production, while some other less-water-reliant cultivations are increasing. Peri-urban small family farming remains significant, but in need of new policies/strategies further promoting its value and role.</p>
</abstract>

This paper critically examines the characteristics of low-intensity, small-scale family farming and related aspects of farming sustainability, in a marginally productive peri-urban landscape, that of the capital town of Lesvos Island, Mytilini, Greece. These aspects and characteristics are explored on the basis of farmers’-landowners’ perceptions and visions of local landscape/land use change, through a questionnaire survey. Our findings indicate that production is basically aimed for self-consumption; such practices yield low incomes but bear high cultural values, mostly run by hobby and part-time farmers-landowners, lacking agricultural education. Olive crops are the dominant, but decreasing, form of production, while some other less-water-reliant cultivations are increasing. Peri-urban small family farming remains significant, but in need of new policies/strategies further promoting its value and role.

Prospects and Constraints of Low-Intensity Farming in Marginal Peri-Urban Areas: The Case of Lesvos, Greece

European Countryside

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This paper critically examines the characteristics of low-intensity, small-scale family farming and related aspects of farming sustainability, in a marginally...

Prospects and Constraints of Low-Intensity Farming in Marginal Peri-Urban Areas: The Case of Lesvos, Greece

Published Online: Sep 27, 2021

Page range: 492 - 515

Received: Dec 08, 2020

Accepted: Mar 26, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2021-0029

Keywords
family farming, low-intensity, CAP subsidy schemes, agricultural production, self-consumption, sustainability

© 2021 Evangelos Pavlis et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Prospects and Constraints of Low-Intensity Farming in Marginal Peri-Urban Areas: The Case of Lesvos, Greece

Published Online: Sep 27, 2021

Page range: 492 - 515

Received: Dec 08, 2020

Accepted: Mar 26, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2021-0029

Keywordsfamily farming, low-intensity, CAP subsidy schemes, agricultural production, self-consumption, sustainability

© 2021 Evangelos Pavlis et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
family farming, low-intensity, CAP subsidy schemes, agricultural production, self-consumption, sustainability