One signature Greek ingredient is boosting global food exports, with sales increasing by 700% over the past ten years.
No Greek salad is complete without feta cheese, a popular ingredient native to the European country that has had a huge increase in demand over the past decade.
New data from Enterprise Greece shows that feta cheese exports have skyrocketed. They now account for €1bn (£840m) in overseas sales, up from €142m (£118m) in 2014.
The sharp increase in sales to overseas countries has led to the cheese being labelled as “white gold” – named by Pavlos Satolias, president of the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (NUAC).
Satolias likened feta to this due to its impact on the Greek economy, referring to the steep increase in exports over the past years as countries worldwide opened their markets to the “queen” of Greek cheeses.
Speaking to the newspaper Peloponnisos, the NUAC president said: “About 65 percent of the annual production of feta in the country is now destined for export.”
He adds: “Feta has to be the original product. There is only one way to achieve that: A strict legislative framework that will act as a deterrent. No one can play with our country.”
Greece produces about 140,000 tonnes of feta each year, with the UK being a key destination. It has a market share of around 14%, and exports are increasing rapidly.
Despite the fluctuation and decreases in global exports over the past five years, the ‘white gold’ seems to dominate the market, gaining ground in other countries.
The recognition and demand for feta cheese have grown with the ever-expanding number of tourists visiting the country. So far this year, the historic nation has seen over 24 million foreign visitors, with the tourism industry increasing 12.2% year-on-year.
Global merchandise trade is only up by 2.7% this year, which is a small percentage compared to Greek food and beverage exports, which soar ahead with a 7% increase.
Over the past ten years, Greek food exports have more than doubled in value to over €10bn (£8bn), with feta cheese accounting for 10% of this.
