Webinar on "Sustainability in Agriculture" Held

At a webinar organized by Aegean Exporters Unions, Birol Celep, Chairman of the Board of Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Union, Cengiz Balık, Vice Chairman of the Board of Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Union, Serpil Ürek, Product Safety and Environmental Management Group Manager at Migros Ticaret A.Ş., and Mesut Öztürk, Good Agricultural Practices Quality Manager at Migros Ticaret A.Ş. discussed criteria related to food safety and sustainability in the retail sector, good agricultural practices, and measures needed for sustainability in agriculture. Birol Celep, Chairman of the Board of Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Union, said: "To conduct exports with a smaller carbon footprint, as the Aegean Exporters Unions which have been operating in the city of Izmir for 81 years, we believe we should be pioneers in demonstrating to the entire world that the Aegean Region is a sustainable production center. As the Aegean Exporters Unions with 7 agricultural unions within our organization, we designated 2020 as the 'Sustainability Year' in our institutional strategy development studies, aiming to conduct exports with a smaller carbon footprint before conditions changed."

Green Deal represents a new opportunity for sustainable development in Turkey

Celep, mentioning the establishment of a Sustainability working group at Aegean Exporters Unions, also touched on the new carbon tax regulations under the EU's European Green Deal. "While work continues for our institution and members, we held 2 webinars on the EU Green Deal. The Green Deal is a new growth strategy of the EU containing the fundamental objectives of zeroing net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, ending the dependency of economic growth on resource use, and ensuring no one and no region is left behind. In other words, the Deal will create business opportunities and improve quality of life while reducing emissions. Within the scope of the defined objectives, this growth strategy is structured under 7 policy areas: 1- clean energy, 2- sustainable industry, 3- construction and renovation, 4- farm to table, 5- elimination of pollution, 6- sustainable mobility and 7- biodiversity."  

Another outcome of this cycle is ensuring increased sustainable exports

Celep said: "We pay attention to conducting work through the cooperation of all stakeholders, carry out scientific studies as well as promotion projects for foreign markets, closely follow developments in the world and in our country, and inform our members and producers. The main objective of our work is to further increase the quality of our products and their suitability for human health, market our traditional products in small packaging compatible with current food trends with healthy, natural and organic concepts to create more added value, increase our exports in quantity and value, and provide market diversification. Another outcome of this cycle is ensuring increased sustainable exports."  

We turned Turkey's food export strategy to our advantage even under crisis conditions

Pointing out that another work carried out in this context is the creation of Agricultural Specialization Organized Industrial Zones such as Dikili, Bayındır, Kınık and Bergama, Celep concluded his remarks as follows: "Thanks to this, we anticipate that our agricultural product exports, currently at around USD 5 billion annually, will reach USD 10 billion in the medium term. Our vision should be to properly leverage Turkey's geographical wealth and shape the future through policies created within the framework of common sense with the participation of all stakeholders. For this, everyone must put their shoulder to the wheel. It is a fact that there is great agricultural potential in the Aegean Region. Setting aside the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic that affected the entire world, we were able to turn Turkey's food export strategy, as an agricultural country, to our advantage even under the crisis conditions experienced."  

Every stage of production is under control

Cengiz Balık, Vice Chairman of the Board of Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Union, explained that good agricultural practices implemented for the provision of safe food ensure control and certification at every stage of agricultural production. "Good agricultural practices aim to ensure environmental health, protection of natural resources, traceability and sustainability in agriculture, as well as food safety. The ultimate goal of a sustainable food value chain is to make a substantial contribution to broad-based improvement in societal welfare for both current and future generations. In achieving controlled food production from farm to table, where environmental risks are assessed and every stage of production is conducted in a controlled manner, the importance of intermediate enterprises that bring together producers and consumers in the delivery of good agricultural practice products to the end consumer is very significant."  

If we increase product diversity and extend the season of export products, new markets will open

Discussing the work conducted by the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Union to provide sustainable food supply, Cengiz Balık said: "Increasing product diversity and extending the season of export products is a very important matter for the fresh fruit and vegetable sector. For example, I believe that if we can extend Turkey's cherry season from 1.5-2 months to 3 months, many new markets could be opened for our members. Research Institutes have major responsibilities in investigating export-oriented varieties for this purpose. The Aegean Agricultural Research Institute will soon initiate early cherry breeding work, and we both closely follow and support this project. Additionally, the Dikili Agriculture-Based Specialization Organized Industrial Zone is starting operations in our region. This is a project that also enables greenhouse production of many fruits, and I believe this project will also benefit our country's product diversity."  

Both farmers and consumers must be made aware

Cengiz Balık emphasized the need to undertake work that will support sustainability in environmental terms, such as waste management and the recycling and reuse of waste, and that will raise awareness among both farmers and consumers. "Unfortunately, we experience losses reaching 30-35 percent in many of our products during harvest. Farmers need to be informed at every stage and regarding harvest. Awareness on this issue has emerged recently, which is an encouraging development. Project calls aimed at preventing waste and losses have begun to increase, and the interest and awareness of institutions and organizations in the matter has noticeably grown. As the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Union, we have projects we support in this field. It is important to bring technology to our side on this matter, but what is truly important is education and awareness-raising. If projects that highlight awareness in this area are created in every province where production is intensive and are implemented for all segments, believe me, it will contribute to our country and thus our economy."  

Food Safety Project 'We Know the Pesticides We Use'

  Announcing that the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Union will implement a project titled 'We Know the Pesticides We Use' in 2021 to draw attention to "Food Safety," Cengiz Balık concluded his remarks as follows: "The project is aimed at improving the quality of 'seedless table grapes, cherries, pomegranates, peaches, mandarins, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and grape leaves'—products exported in high volumes. We will collect a determined number of samples from regions where these products are produced intensively and have them analyzed in accredited laboratories. Based on these results, we will achieve success in ensuring the desired MRL values for the health of our 83 million citizens, alongside our largest market the European Union and Russia, and ensure healthy food supply, while making both our producers and exporters more aware."