An informational meeting and discussion was successfully held in Prespa on the topic “Prespa Beans and Climate Change,” with the participation of producers, scientists, and local stakeholders on March 26th 2026, in the “Lazaros Nalpantidis” hall of the Municipality of Prespa in the village of Laimos.
The event was organized by the Department of Agriculture of the School of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Western Macedonia in collaboration with the Municipality of Prespa and the Society for the Protection of Prespa.
The discussion focused on the serious impacts of climate change on bean cultivation, a crop inextricably linked to the region’s identity and economy. As noted, beans are particularly sensitive to high temperatures, especially during the flowering and fruit-setting stages, with temperatures above 30°C–32°C leading to flower drop and a significant reduction in yield.
These developments pose serious challenges to the sustainability of the crop, with direct socioeconomic implications. Prespa bean is a key pillar of the local economy, with hundreds of families depending on it. The decline in production and the rise in costs are leading to a drop in income, exacerbating rural exodus and population aging.
During the meeting, in addition to the impacts of high temperatures on crops and future climate trends, participants discussed the potential for introducing alternative crops, as well as practices for adapting agriculture to the new realities.
Particular emphasis was placed on dialogue with producers, who had the opportunity to ask questions, share their experiences, and actively contribute to the development of proposals.
The event featured the following speakers: Fokion Papathanassiou, Professor and Dean of the School of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agriculture; Georgios Nanos, Professor of Arboriculture, Department of Agriculture, Plant Production & Rural Environment, University of Thessaly; Dimitrios Vlachostergios, Director of Research – Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Department of Plant Production, ELGO-DIMITRA, and Evangelos Karagiannis, Assistant Professor of Arboriculture – Department of Agriculture, University of Western Macedonia.
The meeting marked an important step toward strengthening cooperation between the scientific community, local stakeholders, and producers, with the aim of developing sustainable solutions for the future of agricultural production in Prespa.
The minutes of the meeting will soon be available on the engage.poliprespa.gr platform on the page dedicated to this initiative.