TÜGİS Chairman of the Board Kaan Sidar Reviews 2023

TÜGİS Board Chair Kaan Sidar Evaluates Food Sector Performance in 2023 Kaan Sidar, Board Chair of Turkey Food Manufacturers' Employers' Association (TÜGİS), assessed the food industry's performance in 2023. Beyond working with sector employers during collective bargaining processes, Sidar noted that throughout the year they undertook work addressing sustainable food, food safety and food inflation, matters that concern both end consumers and the food sector. Sidar highlighted that last year's food inflation resulting from rising raw material costs, food safety concerns, and the negative impact of the climate crisis on agriculture stood out as key issues. He stated: "With the 6 February earthquake, the importance of access to safe food became clear once again. As TÜGİS, throughout the year we addressed misinformation about food in particular and corrected misconceptions in the food industry and food products, and we continued our efforts to improve food literacy."

Turkish Food Industry Passed a Successful Test in 2023

TÜGİS Board Chair Kaan Sidar noted that in 2023, global supply-demand imbalances, energy crisis, increased logistics costs and regional tensions first impacted the food sector. He stated: "The year we left behind was one in which the negative effects of global climate change on agriculture and livestock continued worldwide, rising raw material costs increased food inflation, and sustainability gained even greater importance in agriculture and the food industry." Emphasizing that the importance of access to safe food was underscored once again in Turkey, particularly with the 6 February earthquake, Sidar noted that the food industry successfully fulfilled its responsibilities. He said: "Our country's food industry, through its dedicated work during the process that began with the pandemic and continued with the tragic earthquake we experienced in 2023, ensured uninterrupted food supply and allowed people to meet their basic needs smoothly. Our sector, which closed 2023 with nearly 25 billion dollars in exports, continued to maintain its strength and supply safe food to consumers without interruption." [caption id="attachment_159223" align="aligncenter"] TÜGİS Board Chair Kaan Sidar[/caption]

"We Highlighted Misconceptions About Food"

Sidar stated that monitoring important developments concerning both the food sector and end consumers and communicating them to the public is among TÜGİS's responsibilities. He said: "Throughout 2023, working with the TÜGİS Science Board composed of experts in the field, we addressed misinformation about food in particular and corrected misconceptions in both the food sector and food industry. We continued our efforts to improve food literacy. We supported these efforts through our press communications throughout the year, regularly drawing attention to food safety and the importance of our food industry. Through our news work in which we emphasized the importance of packaging in safe food, we addressed packaging's protective function for food from production to consumption." Sidar also noted that TÜGİS organized the 9th Sustainable Food Summit in cooperation with the Sustainability Academy during the year. He said: "Focusing on developments such as climate change and water crisis and the disruptions encountered on the roadmap until reaching the consumer, the final destination of food, we jointly developed solutions."

"We Represent Modern Active Employer Unionism"

Sidar emphasized that TÜGİS actively played a role in resolving sector problems through constructive dialogue between workers, employers and the public and solution-oriented discussions. He said: "Through both the work we have produced and our cooperation with national and international food organizations, TÜGİS has become an exemplary representative of modern active employer unionism. Throughout 2023, in our visits to chambers of commerce and industry, we addressed the current state of our food industry and held consultations on our working life and the general economy. We participated in collective bargaining meetings of leading food industry companies. We also listened to innovations made by many of our food producers for our sector and shared our views. Through our webinar series conducted throughout the year, we examined topics of direct concern to food employers with experts in the field."

TÜGİS Supports Quality Competition

Sharing his assessments regarding 2024, Kaan Sidar stated: "By supporting increased quality competition in the food sector, we will continue to monitor employment protection and the strengthening of worker rights for employment development as TÜGİS. In 2024, we continue our work for our sector's sustainable growth, and we continue to add value to our society and our country by contributing to environmental sustainability."