WELCOME TO THE ECO GOAT PROGRAM
THE CHALLENGE THE SOLUTION
- E
c
- G
- t
Goats have been multiplying and roaming unchecked on many remote Greek islands, resulting in the desertifjcation of landscapes and the loss of crucial biodiversity. Now, a new initiative launched by Ikarοs Adventure Tours and Ecotourism Greece plans to remedy the problem.
After studying the phenomenon of shrinking forests on the Greek Islands, we were alarmed to fjnd that a major contributing factor to this problem is the overpopulation and overgrazing by wild and domesticated goats. These animals graze indiscriminately on vegetation growing on the mountainsides and destroy the local biodiversity, leaving barren terrain in their wake. Because the activity of these compulsive foragers remains unchecked by predators that once existed in the wild such as wolves, bears and even lions or tigers, the result is quite devastating to the complex ecosystems on the mountainside. Trees lose their shrubbery and the complexity of the soil eventually degrades, causing subsequent decrease in plant and animal biodiversity. The Eco Goat program promises to halt the degradation of fmora and actively stimulate reforestation, supported by the proceeds from selling organic goat milk and meat. It sets specifjc criteria for raising the goats in a humane way under a system that provides benefjts to local communities through the sale of organic, free-range goat products and contribute to reforestation.