Restructuring the Greek Forest Sector in Order to Facilitate Rural Development in Greece

In Greece, priorities such as knowledge transfer and innovation in agriculture, forestry, and rural areas, but also the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and sustainable forestry, are now under negotiation. The ultimate goal for forestry is to improve life quality of the urban population and preserve the environment through the sustainable exploitation of forest resources, with an anticipated contribution of 1% to the national GDP. Overcoming important constraints, the Greek forest sector must be developed across all sub-sectors. The production of wood and non-wood forest products and services must be improved. Following a descriptive approach, representative new scopes and actions are suggested for the implementation of such a new forest strategy. Some new scopes, such as strengthening forest exploitation rather than protection, the valorization of forest resources, the active participation of the local population, the focus on small-scale and medium-scale forestry, and the promotion of advantages for certain regions, need to be followed by specific actions such as the sustaining of existing raw material resources from small-scale industrial plantations, the improvement of production and transportation infrastructures, the development of a qualified and cost-competitive labor force, the creating of an attractive investment climate, and paying more attention to NWFPs and services. The need for rural and national economic development in Greece after the severe negative impacts of the financial crisis is now more crucial than ever.