Greece Pledges to Increase in Protected Origin Products

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Greece has 283 products registered as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and the government wants to significantly increase that number, Minister of Rural Development and Food Margaritis Schoinas said in Thessaloniki.

Speaking at a ministry event dedicated to Greek PDO and PGI products, Schoinas highlighted the need for greater standardisation, added value, stronger protection in international markets and complete reliability throughout the production and trading chain.

“Yes, we have 283 PDO and PGI products, and I will close with the promise that we will have many more,” he said.

Schoinas said Greek products represent more than high-quality food. They also carry the country’s historical and regional identity and act as ambassadors for Greece abroad.

“Saffron is Kozani, the green olive is Halkidiki, feta is livestock farming,” he said, highlighting the international recognition Greek products have achieved.

“Those who know Antetokounmpo know feta”

Schoinas drew a direct comparison between Greece’s food exports and the global profile of Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“Those who know Antetokounmpo know feta too,” he said.

He recalled that while living in Brussels, people who had never visited Kalamata would talk to him about Kalamata olives, while others who had never visited Kozani would use Greek saffron in paella.

Four priorities for Greek products

Schoinas identified four priorities for strengthening Greek PDO and PGI products in international markets: standardisation, added value, protection and reliability.

On standardisation, he argued that Greece must move away from selling products in bulk and informal packaging.

“Greece of the tin and bulk products is not compatible with the Greece of PDOs,” he said, calling for a collective effort involving producers and industry.

On added value, Schoinas said exports should carry more than the product itself.

“When they leave Greece, they must carry with them a narrative, a story, a connection,” he said.

He argued that Greek production should generate significantly greater value from exported goods, noting that a kilogram of feta selling for €20 in Europe should create substantially more value around the Greek product.

Schoinas also stressed the need to protect Greek PDO and PGI products from imitations and unfair competition through European Union trade agreements with third countries.

“We will not abandon the issue of protection. We will pursue it everywhere,” he said, describing the protection of Greek products in international markets as a “national duty”.

“No Greekwashing, no imitations”

Schoinas placed particular emphasis on reliability and compliance throughout the production and trading chain.

“We need to be by the book throughout the entire production and trading chain,” he said.

He warned against practices that could undermine the reputation of PDO and PGI products.

“No Greekwashing, no imitations, no back doors, no profiteers. None of this belongs at this table,” he said.

Schoinas linked PDO and PGI products to the outward orientation of the Greek economy, describing them as one of the key ways Greece can strengthen its international presence.

He said he had spent his career working towards “an outward-looking Greece that looks outside, not at its own navel”.

The Thessaloniki event brought together producers, processors, hospitality professionals and consumers to highlight the value of Greek PDO and PGI products and their contribution to Greek production, regional identity and the country’s international profile.

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