Global Climate Change Could Trigger a Food Crisis

Rapid global population growth and deepening dimensions of the climate crisis are making it increasingly difficult for humanity to access food. The "Protect Food—Own Your Table Campaign," organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to prevent food loss and waste, has completed its first year. At the "Protect Food—Own Your Table Campaign First Anniversary Event," held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's headquarters in Ankara with the participation of Emine Erdoğan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Dr. Bekir Pakdemirli, Birol Celep, Deputy Coordinator President of the Aegean Exporters Associations, and Hayrettin Uçak, Chairman of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, emphasized the growing importance of food for humanity. Birol Celep, Deputy Coordinator President of the Aegean Exporters Associations, noted that 850 million people in the world face hunger while an equal number struggle with obesity. He stated that Turkey, in addition to meeting its own food needs, exports USD 18 billion worth of food products annually, and to maintain this position, it must protect its 24 million hectares of arable land and use water resources efficiently. Celep emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's "Protect Food—Own Your Table Campaign" has raised awareness of Turkey's wealth, saying: "The project reminded us that we need to focus on food banking in Turkey. We should invest in food banking with our local administrations and civil society organizations. Sixty-one percent of food waste originates from our homes. We must raise awareness on this issue."

Loss and waste in fresh fruits and vegetables reaches 50 percent

Hayrettin Uçak, Chairman of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, drew attention to Turkey's production of 55 million tonnes of fresh fruits and vegetables in 2020. He noted that produced fresh fruits and vegetables experience losses during production, processing, transportation and distribution stages, and waste during retail and consumption phases. He pointed out that in total, half of Turkey's 55 million tonnes of fresh fruits and vegetables are lost or wasted and cannot be consumed, and that the "Protect Food—Own Your Table Campaign" aims to reduce these losses. Uçak emphasized the significant progress achieved by the "Protect Food—Own Your Table Campaign" in one year, stating: "Food loss is not limited to food loss alone. Energy, water, soil, labor and time are also wasted. If people continue to consume in the same way as in the past, the current world will not be sufficient for humanity in the future. In 2015, world leaders delivered 17 crucial messages under the United Nations umbrella. These messages cover many subjects. The most striking issue within these messages is environmental catastrophe. If humanity continues to consume as it has done so far, we will need three worlds by 2050. That is why we urgently need to change our production and consumption habits. All policies must be implemented with the climate crisis as the focal point. We should make the European Union's Green Deal our priority. Our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's 'Protect Food—Own Your Table Campaign' will discipline us."