Turkey: Organic farmers’ markets still increasing

Weekly organic farmers’ markets are becoming more and more popular in Turkey, Setimes reports. As an increasing number of health-conscious Turks turn to organic food, weekly markets are fast becoming shoppers' priority. Shoppers appreciate the freshness of the foods, the fact that they are environmentally friendly, the wide range of seasonal products, and the variety of organically certified vegetables and fruits from around the country. (Picture: weekly organic market in Moda)

Okan Sevinc, a retailer at one organic market, told Setimes that consumers are becoming more aware of the benefits of organics. "During the first few years, people were coming to the markets because it was a trend in their neighbourhood. But now, they ask about the origin of the food we're selling; they want to know how we cultivate vegetables. So, the trend has become a conscious lifestyle."

An Istanbul resident who frequently shops at the Atakoy organic market explains that she wants to make sure that she is eating healthy and natural. She states that she knows that foods, fruits and vegetables sold at this organic market are well supervised by the inspection authorities, and are organically certified. She prefers coming to the organic market instead of going to malls, since she can find everything she looks for at cheaper prices.

In June 2012, Turkey's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock announced its Organic Agriculture Strategic Plan from 2012 to 2016. It states that Turkey must fully develop its organic products monitoring system. The ministry already increased its monitoring efforts two years ago by assigning the responsibility to the ministry's local authorities and municipalities.
 

Setimes.com