Some farmers in a small town in Greece were selling their potatoes at cost to local families. The farmers say although they are not making a profit, they aren't taking a loss which they usually do if selling to markets and wholesalers. It costs about 20 cents per kilogram to grow potatoes and the markets only pay the farmers 10 to 12 cents for them and will sell them for 70 cents, therefore turning a profit for themselves while the farmers are taking a loss. The farmers decided it would be a good move to sell the potatoes to people directly and eliminate "the middle man" and at least break even and not lose money. The farmers selling the potatoes at cost price is helping out struggling families to be able to afford food. Ilias Tsolakidis put up an ad on the internet offering families the chance to order directly from the farmers and got an overwhelming response . This is helping out both the farmer and the family.
The significance of this event is that Greece is in a terrible financial crisis which means that many families are struggling and the farmers deciding to sell their potatoes at cost directly to them will help them afford more food and the farmers will break even and be able to stay working. This even is one step towards the turning point of the Greek economy in the right direction. This is a social problem because the farmers were losing money to the wholesalers which affects their wages which in turn is a social problem.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GREECE_POTATO_BATTLE?SITE=NCWIN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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