AN EXPANDING INDUSTRY
Organic initiatives across Cyprus are expanding with several dedicated eco-farms, sustainable vineyards, and educational centres that promote biodiversity and traditional farming techniques. In light of this, there are now approximately 1,600 farmers managing about 8% of the country’s cultivated land. Driven by the European Union’s Farm-to-Fork Strategy, the sector emphasises sustainable dairy, olive groves, and greenhouse produce to combat challenges like water scarcity and high summer temperatures.
To overcome recent droughts, farmers are increasingly combining organic methods with tech solutions. This includes water-saving aeroponic vertical farming for crops like lettuce, herbs, and strawberries. Farms across Cyprus are now actively selecting native, drought-resistant crops to reduce artificial irrigation needs during long Mediterranean summers. In addition to this, most producers are also implementing no-till farming, natural composting, and rotational grazing to rebuild soil health previously depleted by intensive agriculture.
Notable initiatives and locations highlight the diversity of the Cypriot organic sector
Riverland Bio Farm: Located near the village of Kampia, within the Nicosia district, this 25-hectare integrated organic farm offers hands-on agro-tourism experiences. This farm, which exclusively uses harvested rainwater, specialises in organic goat and sheep dairy products, seasonal fruits, climate-controlled greenhouse vegetables, and family-friendly outdoor activities.
Atsas Organic Farm: Situated in the Evrychou area near the Soleas valley, this innovative project focuses on dryland organic farming. It successfully maintains a local ecosystem that produces world-renowned, high-phenolic Atsas Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Tsiakkas Winery: Located in the Pitsilia region of the Troodos Mountains, this forward-thinking winery manages certified organic vineyards. It successfully combines modern organic viticulture with traditional Cypriot grape varieties like Xynisteri and Maratheftiko
Anassa Organic Farm: Teaching sustainable permaculture principles to local growers and international volunteers, this farm operates as an educational hub that focuses on cultivating organic aromatic herbs.
Akaki Grove: This certified organic olive grove utilises innovative sustainability projects. It uses retired laying hens to naturally fertilise the soil and manage pests and food waste.
HENS & OLIVES
ORGANICALLY FERTILISING OLIVE GROVES: Some organic farmers in Cyprus have begun recruiting retired hens to help organically fertilise olive groves. This is after farmers successfully introduced a pilot project involving the hens. The project revealed that hens helped to boost yields, counter olive tree diseases and helped to reduce food waste.
REVISING THE TREND: Egg-laying hens typically produce eggs up to the age of two. They are then usually sent to slaughter but some organic farmers, have begun to revise this trend by supplying a new home for them after their egg-laying years. Hens can live up to 10 years if allowed to, so can enjoy a long retirement among the olive trees.
A SELF-SUSTAINED ECOSYSTEM: Organic farmers have also stated that their main goal is to create a bio-diverse, self-sustained ecosystem that can sustain high temperatures and long droughts. Bringing these animals into the environment and allowing them to eat ground cover helps fertilise crops, speeding up the cycle. This in particular has improved olive tree growth and yields.
A NATURAL PEST CONTROL: Farmers who have adopted this method of sustainability state that the hens reduce the presence of pests such as olive flies. They do this by pecking at larvae while simultaneously clearing surface weed cover.
A NATURAL FERTILISER: Hen droppings enrich the soil, so the hens in turn provide natural fertiliser for the olive trees. This process has proven to produce olive oil high in inflammation-busting polyphenols.
REDUCING LANDFILL: The back-to-basics approach also involves farmers collecting food waste donations to feed the hens. Feeding the hens with food waste reduces the amount of methane-producing organic matter going into landfills.
CYPRIOT OLIVES
RETIRED HENS
CYPRIOT OLIVE TREES
CYPRUS TO RECEIVE EU EMERGENCY FARMING RELIEF
Cyprus is once again reeling from recent weather changes attributed in part to global warming. The island has suffered from exceptionally low rainfall and higher temperatures.
This has resulted in local drought, which has gone on to affect the overall production of several crops, in particular cereals, olives and vegetables.
As a result, European Union member states have approved €3.5 million in emergency support for Cypriot farmers across the island. This aid will come in the form of financial relief that is to be equally distributed to farmers who have lost both production and income.
COLD SNAP HITS THE EAST OF THE ISLAND
A series of highly unusual cold snaps during the winter months in Cyprus has caused major crop damage in recent years. This has affected farmers in particular in the Larnaca and Famagusta districts. They have suffered from frosts that, in some cases, have totally devastated their crops. The CYPRUS POTATO fields of the red villages, in particular, have suffered a series of losses. This has led to a shortage of supply and ultimately dramatic price hikes.
A SERIES OF DRASTIC ACTIONS
Teams from the agriculture ministry have been working closely with farmers. They, along with farmers across Cyprus, now employ drastic actions as they struggle to protect crops during the winter. Farmers now monitor temperatures and if there is a fear of frost, they then begin watering crops overnight until daybreak. This ensures that frost does not settle, which in turn minimise crop losses. In light od this, additional water for farmers adopting this particular tactic has been made available.
