A growing number of Turkish cheese products marketed as “feta” are raising concerns in Greece, with the Greek Federation of Agronomist Civil Servants (POGEDY) warning that the country’s iconic Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese faces mounting pressure from foreign imitations, declining domestic production, and shifting international trade policies.
According to the federation, Greek authorities have yet to take visible action despite being alerted months ago to the appearance of Turkish products using the protected “Feta” name in international markets.
The concern stems from an official memorandum prepared by the Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Greek Consulate General in Istanbul and sent to Greece’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food on October 20, 2025. The document identified at least one Turkish producers marketing cheeses under the names “Urfarm Feta” and “Awassi FETA.”
According to the memorandum, the products are promoted online and through major retail outlets while closely imitating authentic Greek feta. They are produced primarily from sheep’s milk, matured in brine for approximately 120 days, and prominently display the protected “Feta” designation despite originating outside Greece. The consulate urged Greek authorities to take immediate action.
Turkish ‘Feta’ Production Expands
The federation says the situation has worsened considerably since the memorandum was submitted.
According to the Greek agricultural organization, at least five Turkish dairy companies are now producing and exporting cheese labeled as “Feta,” increasing pressure on Greek producers and raising concerns about consumer confusion in international markets.
The organization also points to Turkey’s substantial livestock sector as a significant competitive advantage. Turkey is home to an estimated 58 million sheep and goats, compared with approximately 70 million across the entire European Union, giving Turkish producers access to a much larger supply of raw milk.
Greek Feta Producers Face Growing Challenges
The warning comes as Greece’s livestock sector faces mounting difficulties of its own. According to the federation, recent outbreaks of animal diseases have significantly reduced sheep and goat populations, leading to lower milk production and threatening the supply of authentic Greek feta.
Agricultural experts estimate that Greece’s feta production could decline by between 15,000 and 20,000 tons this year because of shortages in sheep’s and goat’s milk.
The Greek agricultural organization also cites the continuing decline of indigenous livestock breeds, delays in implementing grazing management plans, and the expansion of intensive farming practices as additional challenges affecting the long-term sustainability of traditional feta production.
What Greece and the EU do (or don’t do) to protect Greek Feta
Beyond the growing number of imitation products, the federation argues that international trade agreements have gradually weakened protection for the “Feta” name outside the European Union.
It points specifically to the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), as well as more recent trade arrangements with Australia, which allow certain producers outside the EU to continue marketing cheese under the “feta” name under specific conditions.
According to the organization, these developments—combined with increasing foreign competition and domestic agricultural pressures—pose a serious long-term challenge to Greece’s most internationally recognized cheese.
The federation is urging the Ministry of Rural Development and Food to adopt a comprehensive national strategy to strengthen protection of feta, support Greek livestock farmers, safeguard the integrity of the PDO designation, and defend one of Greece’s most valuable agricultural exports in international markets.
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