Greece's $1 billion feta sector faces disease losses and naming disputes
Greece's lucrative feta industry is under pressure from animal diseases that have killed hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats, while foreign producers, notably the United States, contest the country's exclusive right to the feta name.
Greece's feta cheese, prized for its authenticity and worth roughly $1 billion, is confronting a dual crisis. A pair of animal diseases have caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats, the primary sources of the cheese's milk. Concurrently, international competitors, especially the United States, are disputing Greece's protected status for the name "feta," seeking to produce and market their own versions.
The combined effect could undermine centuries-old Greek producers and reduce the availability of genuine feta worldwide. Industry observers warn that the loss of livestock and the erosion of the name's legal protection may together jeopardize the sector's future. Stakeholders are watching how regulatory bodies and trade negotiations will respond to these pressures.
Why it matters
The challenges could shrink global supplies of authentic feta and affect Greece's $1 billion cheese export revenue.
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