If I had to identify a single issue that embodies all the contradictions of Greek livestock farming in 2025, it would be sheep and goat pox. This situation vividly highlights how the need for strict regulations, the farmer’s anxiety to survive, and the pressure on political leaders to respond all converge. The equation “sheep pox + compensation + EU & national rules = survival of the dairy sheep production system + feta pdo cheese” is, in reality, much more complex to resolve than it appears on paper.
Recent investigative reports on the uncontrolled sale of antibiotics for veterinary use in Brazil clearly demonstrate what a market without proper control and traceability looks like. Vaccinal products are readily available, with no clear overview of what is being used, where, and in what doses. This situation rightly prompts discussion about food safety, antimicrobial resistance, and fair competition with EU producers, who operate under much stricter regulations.
Greece, thankfully, operates within the European framework. It has a public veterinary service with experience, leading animal health companies, an open market with capable professionals, scientists, and a political leadership that has been called upon to make very difficult decisions at critical moments for the primary sector. This is real credibility capital, and we should not underestimate it.
However, regarding sheep and goat pox, we all recognise that some practices remain “outside the system”. Off-the-record vaccinations and actions driven by fear and insecurity are present. I prefer not to demonise these behaviours. Behind them, I see people: farmers who fear they might lose in a few days what they have spent years building, and who are unsure when and how they will be supported if the worst occurs.
What is truly missing is a framework where everyone feels safe to remain within the system. Predictable measures, clear messages from the beginning, quick and fair compensation, and tools that make following the rules easier than bypassing them.
I genuinely believe that today’s leadership has the chance to bring together the public services, the scientific community, and representatives of farmers, processors, and the market around the same table, so that the planning for sheep pox becomes a shared project – not something that “comes from outside”.
If there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is that livestock farming cannot endure any further divisions. It requires trust, responsibility, and transparency. If we succeed in these three areas, we will no longer be discussing illegal vaccinations but instead highlighting a Greek example of good practice in managing zoonoses.
Map of sheep and goat pox outbreaks in Greece – “Greece – Sheep pox and goat pox – Follow up report 16”, WAHIS (World Organisation for Animal Health, WOAH), Event ID 6592, confirmation date 02.07.2025. Source: WAHIS/WOAH.