Proceedings of the First Congress on Organic Agriculture in Turkey

The First Organic Agriculture Congress at Bahçesehir University in Istanbul on 19-20 October 2007 with the motto “Organic farming option in the transformation of Turkishagriculture” was intended to raise awareness on the importance of the organic agriculture. It was an occasion to discuss a wide range of issues deriving from our modern life-style: the way of production, trade and consume. What was unique to this meeting was to bring together not just academics but also producers, consumers, traders, NGOs, bureaucracy, international organizations and concerned citizens.

Picture: Istanbul

For two days, around 300 participants shared experiences and ideas, made suggestions for solutions in the most interactive manner. In total, 48 speakers coming from all over Turkey and Europe presented their views and recommendations on the opportunities and challenges facing organic agriculture development in Turkey.

Batur Sehirlioğlu, from the Buğday association for ecological lifestyle, presented the “100 % ecological market” project started in 2006 from the Buğday association initiative with the support of the Sisli municipality with the aim of developing ecological goods sector and to increase the production and consumption of these products. The market is now very popular and consumers enjoy the high product quality and the atmosphere.

The market celebrated the 1st anniversary in June 2007. The number of sellers is gradually increasing: on the opening day of the market (17th of June 2006) there were 49 sellers, on the anniversary day, there were 103 sellers, today (October 2007) they are 127 selling on the market. Around seven tons of products are sold every Saturday (market day) and supply food to 600 to 900 consumers. The market is a success also because prices are framed between a minimum and a maximum price limit. The price of organic products does not go under the price of conventional products (as monitored by Buğday association). The price of organic products will never be higher than two times the price of the monitored conventional price. These limits ensure that consumers are guaranteed a fair price. “Now, Batur added, it is time to convert this successful experience to new co-operations and develop it by preparing the legal basis”.

Günesin Aydemir generally presented the Bugday project: TaTuTa. The abbreviation means ‘Eco-Agro Tourism and Voluntary Knowledge and Skills Exchange on Organic Farms’. Obviously, TaTuTa is a type of eco-agro tourism which focuses on protecting the human nature culture by exchanging rural and urban cultures. By TaTuTa, visitors that stay on the farms as Eco-AgroTourists give their contribution directly to the ecological host farm and share their culture and friendship with the host family. The project was supported by the organic production companies, merchants of these products, consultants, some firms, government institutions and local authorities by offering their infrastructure, knowledge and contacts. A critical point is that when tourism becomes the main purpose for especially TaTuTa visitors, then the visitors cannot particularly concentrate on culture and nature. The objectives of this project are briefly to link, to combine the rural and the urban society and to support those who want the preserve the ecological living. In the last few years the project has displayed such a success that the arrangement of the tours was done by association itself which is now replaced by a travel agency (Gençtur).
 
Some data about the TaTuTa project:

• 900 visitors, from 13 countries, 738 of them were voluntaries.
• Most of the farms demanded for accommodation are from Marmara region.
• Women visitors constitute the 70 % of the total.
• Visitors under 25 account for 50 %, between 25-35 40 % and children and visitors above 55 age for 10 %.
• Foreign visitors are 50 %.
• Has been the subject of six academic thesises & researches.

Find more information in the complete report