The Idea of Cooperative Cultivation That Won an Entrepreneurship Award
Tropical fruits from… Kos and herbs like oregano, thyme, and sage mark the beginning of Aspasia Pastrikou’s journey in the agricultural sector. Leaving behind life abroad, she returned to her birthplace, Kos, in 2021 to experience what life on the island is like.
In 2024, she made the decision to get involved in product cultivation, and today she has achieved her first small production of herbs. She estimates that by March 2025, the packaging of her products under the brand name “Votanima” will be ready.
“I studied mechanical engineering and lived in the UK for eight years, working for major companies. Then I returned to Greece, where I also worked in a large company in my field. However, in 2021, I decided to return to Kos. There, I realized that the entire lifestyle of the residents revolves around tourism. That gave me the first push to do something different,” Aspasia told Ypaithros Chora.
While trying to find her footing on the island, she created a small vegetable garden for personal use. “This process—watching a seed turn into food—enchanted me, and that’s when the idea of cultivation started to take root in my mind. At the same time, I came across Piraeus Bank’s Equal program for women in agri-food, which I joined. There, we had a lesson on aromatic plants, and I thought: I’m on the island of Hippocrates, and we don’t have our own herbs. So I decided to explore it further, and that’s how I got started,” she explained.
She connected with people who had previously attempted herb cultivation on the island but had discontinued due to other obligations, and she took over their fields. She also made use of her family’s available land.
With roots in Australia, which she has visited many times, Aspasia was inspired to experiment with tropical fruit cultivation in Kos. As she explains, “I thought about how the climate is changing due to global warming, and we need to adapt and try new crops that might benefit from these changes. Having memories of fruits like mango from Australia, I decided to give it a try. So far, the crops are doing very well. They withstood the winter without any issues.”
Currently, she is cultivating 13 different types of tropical fruits. Some of these include mango, papaya, pineapple, lychee, star fruit, passion fruit, two different types of guava, and dragon fruit. “There are also other producers in Kos growing these kinds of fruits, so that’s a good sign—it shows these products can thrive not just in Kos, but in the Dodecanese region in general.”
Cooperative Cultivation
At present, Aspasia is still designing her business plan. As she explains, “This year, I had my first small harvest of herbs. I’m constantly studying and learning, since I don’t have an agricultural background. I expect the packaging to be ready by March 2025.”
She also received support through her participation in the AgroAnelixi program of New Agriculture New Generation, as well as from the EWA (Empowering Women in Agrifood) program organized by EIT Food. In the latter, she won second place and a €5,000 prize.
“This distinction made me feel more confident about my business and the idea of implementing the method of cooperative cultivation, which is based on regenerative agriculture and agroforestry. From the research I’ve done, it seems well-suited to both the region and the types of crops I want to combine, since it’s applied where there is both low and high vegetation.”
Future Plans
Aspasia’s upcoming plans include expanding her herb cultivation and, in the short term, setting up her own workshop. Finally, with the prize money from the EWA competition, she plans to invest in precision agriculture, specifically in soil sensors. As she emphasizes, “Temperature and humidity play a very important role. Water is precious, so I want to monitor what goes into the field to ensure it’s only what’s necessary—nothing more.”
Source: ypaithros.gr
