ORGANIC AGRICULTURE:
PRODUCTION AND
DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN TURKEY
OUTLINE
•Organic Agriculture in Turkey: An Overview
•Production
•Provinces
•Products
•Markets
•Developments
•Education and Training
Research
•Conclusion: Opportunities and Collaboration Areas
DEFINITION OF ORGANIC FARMING
•Organic farming can be defined as an approach to agriculture where the
aim is:
- To create integrated
- Humane
- Environmentally and economically sustainable agriculture production
systems
- Livestock and human nutrition
• Organic agriculture has its roots in traditional agricultural practices that
evolved in countless villages and farming communities over the millenia
•Organic production systems are based on
- Specific and precise standards of production
- Biological and ecological systems
- Requirements for organically produced foods
OVERVIEW
• 27 years of history
• Lesiglated since 1994
• Surface area increasing through out the
country
• Mean plot size increasing (from 3 to 8.5 ha)
• Product range: slower increase rate in terms
of agricultural products but diversification
through processing
OVERVIE
• Easy response and coordination of companies
based upon demand
• Funding for organic agricuture: a priority for
regional development agencies and other
funds as IPARD
• Many regional projects with collaboration of
different state and local institutions
• Many workshops
ORGANIC FARMING IN TURKEY
• Producing organic agricultural products since the mid 1980s.
• Dried sultanas, apricots and figs were the first items ot be produced
organically.
• Turkish organic production can be classified under the following product
categories:
- Dried fruits
- Spices and herbs
- Fresh or processed fruits and vegetables
- Pulses
- Cereals
- Industrial crops
- Other raw/processed products.
• Since 1985 there's a steady progress
• A great deal of crops produces by the organic agriculture methods are
exported to European Union countries.
Organic Food and Non-Food Plant Production
(2009-2010)
Organic Animal Production (2010)
LEADING PROVINCES
İzmir: Dried fruit, tomato products, herbs, textiles for
the export market + Fresh fruit and vegetables for
the domestic market + culinary herbs
Aydın: Dried fig + wild harvest
Manisa: Raisins + Fresh fruit + vegetables
Şanlıurfa: Cotton + wheat
Samsun: Hazelnut + vegetables
Erzurum + Çanakkale: Animal products
Afyon + Isparta: Rose oil
Hatay: Laurel leaves and soap
DOMESTIC MARKET
• Number of Open Markets (F&V, cosmetics,
textiles increasing in big cities)
• Product range increasing also at retailer shops
• Retailers (e.g. Tesco-Kipa, Migros) started to
produce under their own brand
• Number of retailers selling organic products
increasing
EXPORT MARKET
• Traditional products as dried fruit, hazelnut
and cotton still continue to be the leaders
• Pharmaceuticals
• Black tea and herbal tea production
• Quantity of culinary herbs (annise seed, laurel,
rosemary, thyme, oregano, fennel)
• Number of processed food including juices,
canning, deep-freezing
• Processed non-food
DEVELOPMENTS
Education
Vocational Schools on
Organic Agriculture
Undergraduate Level
Compulsory and Elective
Courses
Post-Graduate level
MSC. and Ph. D at few
universities on production
and marketing
Training
Training of Farmers
MoFAL, Cooperatives,
Unions, NGos
Training of trainers
MoFAL (Organic unit),
consultants and NGOs
Training of researchers
MoFAL and universities
DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC FARMING
IN TURKEY
• Started in 1984-85
• For developments of organic agriculture,
Turkey needs
- Training
- Research and development of the
domestic market
-More organic products
DEVELOPMENTS
RESEARCH
Ministry Of Food Agriculture
and Livestock
Universities
Research at 27 National
Ege University
Research Institutes
Ankara University
Annual Meeting Of Research Group
Çukurova University
On Organic Agriculture (March 19-22
Selçuk University
2012 Antalya)
Akdeniz University
A Proceeding published: of 44 research
A compilation is
articles
avaible at MOAN
Topics widening and long term research (Organic Agriculture
targets (eg. Breeding) increasing
Congress every 3 year)
Org e-prints promoted for Turkish researchers
EXPORTING OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS
•Turkey exports
-Sultanas
-Dried figs
-Apricots
-Frozen fruits
-Spices
-Pulses
• Turkey mostly exports to Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland,
United Kingdom, Denmark and France
• What Turkey produces rather few
-Coffee
-Hot beverage
-Chocolate
-Candies and gums
OPPORTUNITIES
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Different Natural and Agroecosystems
Biodiversity
Raw Material
Increasing Product Range
Young Population
Good Investment Climate
Unsatured Market
CONCLUSIONS
Two basic factors will determine the future of organic
agriculture activities in Turkey.
The first one is:
Demand of consumers who are willing to pay more for a
product that is environment and health friendly.
The second factor is:
The number of amount of producers who will
produce without using chemical inputs and
will accept the special conditions of organic
farming.
OUR SCHOOL
•Located in Manisa in the west of Turkey
•İzmir (3rd biggest city) 30 km. far away
•Nearest airport: İzmir Adnan Menderes International Airport
(50 km)
•Close to several otantic places: Ephesus, Sirince, Virgin Mary’s
House, Kuşadası, Sardes Antic City
•School: over 500 students aged between 15-19
•45 staff
If we need to talk about our education system,
its education is based on Anatolian High School
System. Educating language is Turkish. English
and German are compulsory foreign languages.
Due to the Turkish Education System in 10th
grade of school, students select one of the four
sections which are "Foreign Language Based",
"Maths-Science Based", “Turkish-History
Based” and "Turkish-Maths Based". Although
the hours of each courses change in this
sections, students are responsible all of the
main courses like Maths, Turkish, Physics,
History etc. Also students can take courses like
Drawing, Music, Computer Science, PE etc.
SCHOOL GARDEN
MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK
SCHOOLYARD
SCHOOLYARD
SCHOOLYARD
CANTEEN
ART CLASS
It’s a pleasant activity in our school. Students
write a short poem on post-it notes and put
up on the panel.
LIBRARY
It was a good
experience
for our
students to
turn to an
advantage in
their study
and business
life.
They all had
great time
there, found
a chance to
get to know
more about
eachother.