Study site description: Crete, Greece

Table of Contents

1. Responsible partner
2. General Information
3. Bio-physical description
4. Socio-economic description
5. Institutional and political setting
   1. Existing institutions involved in natural resource management and desertification
   2. Existing civil societies and traditional organisations
   3. Existing laws and policies for land and water resource management
   4. Extension and training (availability and adequacy)
6. Relevant end-users/stakeholder groups
7. Past and on-going projects
8. Bibliography

Extension and training (availability and adequacy)

The Ministry of Rural Development and Foods, which is the main responsible for the management of natural resources, is continuously upgrading the extension and training programs in issues related to the agricultural competitiveness, the integrated development including environmental protection, encourage of biological farming, ensuring the social cohesion and the security for the entire agrarian population, subsidizing of young farmers, as an effort to decrease the average age of agricultural population, etc. All this actions are promoted through the local institutes, the local agriculture administrations units, and private sector involved in agricultural issues.

Local Canters of Rural Development have been established by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food started operating in 2006 and they have contributed significantly in the area of farmer's consultation. For that purpose, 650 new positions have been created (law 3377, official Gazette no 255/17/4/2005 - Α΄) and 65 more positions will be covered by existing staff members in Regional or Prefectural Administrations.