Prespa, Greece

High up in the Balkan mountains, where the borders of Greece, Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia meet, lie the lakes of Micro Prespa and Macro Prespa. This area of outstanding natural beauty is extremely rich in biodiversity. The waters of the lakes teem with 20 species of fish (most of which are endemic), while over 260 species of birds, including the rare Dalmatian Pelican and Pygmy Cormorant, can be found there. Meanwhile the surrounding mountains are home to brown bears, wolves and other endangered animals. The area has been the focus of conservation activities since the 1970s, and is protected under numerous European and International laws and treaties.

Traditional practices in the sustainable use of natural resources, applied by the local people for centuries, have contributed greatly to the inherited natural and cultural wealth of Prespa. Now the area is sparsely populated, and the local economy is based on agriculture.

In Greece, the Prespa area is best known for its beans, which are sought after for their quality and excellent flavour. In 1998, the beans were awarded the EU’s Protected Geographical Indication  (PGI) designation.

However, Prespa’s beans are also causing problems to Micro Prespa’s natural environment. Although the creation of the irrigation system in the 1960s helped people stay in the region, it also contributed to the conversion of littoral wetland areas into agricultural land. Furthermore, intensive agriculture in Greek Prespa causes impacts particularly on the agricultural land, which is degraded due to pesticide and fertiliser use; a fact that could have also negative impacts on the waters in the long run.

Promoting Organic Bean Production
Founded in 1991, the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) works to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the area. One of its big breakthroughs came in 1992, when it convinced a local farmer to switch his bean farm to organic production. Although the SPP helped to market the organic beans at first, nowadays they sell better than the non-organic beans. Since then a large number of farmers have followed suit, due to the higher prices and better sales of the organic beans and because of their understanding that intensive agriculture impoverishes their land. In 2004, a programme of Integrated Production Management (IPM) started, and now around half of the area of beans is cultivated in this way. Although it is not as environmentally friendly as organic cultivation, IPM uses significantly less fertilisers and pesticides than intensive farming and requires stringent monitoring of soil quality.

Spreading the Message
Although its early activities were focussed on the Greek part of the region, the SPP realised that to protect the region and especially the lakes effectively, it was necessary to map out a common vision and coordination between the three countries for water and natural resources management. The SPP was instrumental in founding the Prespa Park – the first transboundary protected area in the Balkans, and is now in the process of investigating the establishment of a transboundary Prespa “brand” which would signify high quality, sustainably produced products from the region.

The principal crop in the FYR Macedonia is apples. Produced intensively, the crops give high yields; unfortunately apple production sales are poor as the country’s economy is in transition. The local farmers could grow apples in a more environmentally friendly way and market them using the Prespa Park ‘brand’.

In Albania the situation is rather different. Most of the farming is of a subsistence level and incomes are low. Production used to be organic, yet in the last few years farmers have started to use agrochemicals. The establishment of a Prespa Park ‘brand’ could help the Albanian farmers follow best agricultural practices and thus give added value to their produce.