Illegal pesticide trade spreads in Greece - Farmers find "alternative" methods to reduce farming costs
The illegal pesticide trade in Greece is growing rapidly, as farmers seek cheaper alternatives to cope with high prices. This situation threatens the environment and the health of residents.
As the cost of spraying crops with pesticides becomes increasingly expensive, Greek farmers are turning to cheaper alternatives: unlabeled, plastic-bottled liquids smuggled by land and sea.
The products are more effective, a group of farmers in the Thessaly region said. But they are also potentially more harmful. Laboratory tests show that the bottles contain pesticides banned in the European Union, due to the risks they pose to people and the environment.
Greek farmers are vulnerable to the illegal pesticide trade, as the lingering impacts of the 2010-18 financial crisis and climate change have dried up the soil and increased insect pests.
Pesticides can account for up to 50% of annual costs, some farmers said. A liter of a popular Greek insecticide costs up to 380 euros. While a counterfeit can be found on the black market for 200-230 euros, they added.
High prices threaten livelihoods in Thessaly, a major food source in central Greece, producing apples, almonds, cereals and cotton. Orchards in the region have been abandoned as farmers look for work elsewhere. Some say the only way to survive is to break the law, buying illegal pesticides. The produce is smuggled into Greece by land from Bulgaria or transported on boats used to bring in migrants.
More than 12 types of banned pesticides were discovered in Greece alone in 2024. While the World Health Organization says the risk to consumers is minimal, farmers who use illegal chemicals could face greater consequences. At least 14% of pesticides used in EU fields are now illegal, up from about 10% in 2015, the bloc's data shows. In some areas of Greece, that number is as high as 25%.
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