Greece is facing a potential feta cheese shortage due to an outbreak of goat and sheep pox that began in August 2024, leading to the culling of nearly half a million animals, according to Stephanie Edwards of Discover. While the virus does not affect humans, it severely reduces the milk supply needed for feta production, a cheese with over 2,000 years of history and a Protected Designation of Origin tied to Greece. Greek feta’s unique taste comes from native sheep and goats grazing on local flora and traditional production methods, which require milk with at least 6% fat and a two-month ripening process. The shortage threatens one of Greece’s top food exports, which accounts for 10% of the country’s food export revenue. Edwards writes:
Our Greek salads may look a bit different next year as Greece faces a potential feta cheese shortage.
The shortage is due to an ongoing outbreak of goat and sheep pox that started in August of 2024. The virus, now spread to many parts of the country, has led to the culling of almost half a million goats and sheep. Although the virus can’t be transmitted to humans, the shortage of sheep and goat milk is likely to severely affect Greece’s ability to produce one of its top food exports. […]
The European Commission notes that the virus is highly contagious once it is contracted by one animal, as it is present in their saliva, urine, milk, and other bodily secretions. The skin lesions common with the disease can also become infectious, along with the scabs that drop off after healing.
The transmissibility of the disease is what typically leads to entire herds being culled, leaving farmers suffering from significant financial losses. […]
Greece’s climate and geography make it ideal for feta cheese production, and it all starts with sheep and goats. Due to Greece’s mountainous landscape and its hot and dry weather, early settlers were unable to rear cows. Instead, they turned to sheep and goats, two species that are known for their ability to survive difficult climates. […]
The unique flora of Greece is what helps give feta cheese its taste. Sheep and goats graze on over 6,000 different species of plants grown in Greece, and it is this unique step that makes Greek feta truly unique.
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