The golden sunset
It is a typical agricultural landscape of cereal crops in the Thessalian plain, located in central Greece.
The photo depicts the end of the day in August when the fields are harvested, a sunset above a “golden sea”. Thessaly is Greece’s leading agricultural region and major food exporter, particularly of grains and cattle. The Thessaly’s plain was very fertile, while until the beginning of the 20th century the area was a granary for Greece. Nowadays, the main products produced by the farmers are cereals, legumes, cotton and vegetables. This agricultural system contributes to food of local and supra-local communities processing cereals within the Greek market. The agricultural procedure is done in accordance with contemporary agricultural practices and technology such as fertilizers; machines etc in order to lower the cost of production and target the quality that is needed by the market. Specialized agronomists support the farmers during the cultivation of their fields.
Agriculture continues to have an important share in the Thessalian economy, accounting for roughly 35% of regional GDP and about 28% of Thessaly’s active population works in the primary sector. Moreover, the cereal crop fields provide shelter for various species enhancing the biodiversity. The presence of a large amount of birds that fly over or even wander on the land (hawks and the protected species “lesser kestrels) is very characteristic of these agricultural landscapes. The cereal crops landscapes of Thessaly have been developed since ancient times with a strong interaction between humans and environment. Their form shapes and interlinks are characterized by a
strong historical presence. Their scale, and mosaic, their geometry, the night views with the dispersed lightings of the villages and the dispersed tree systems are typical of the Thessaly landscapes. Their stability and slow evolution is the evidence of integration of food production, the environment and agricultural culture of Thessaly region.
Rural landscape category:
- Food and livelihood security
- Landscape and seascape features
Author(s): Thanasis Polyzoidis
Photo Credit: Thanasis Polyzoidis
Country: Greece
