Haber Detay
26.04.2021
Izmir’s new agriculture program combats climate crises and alleviates poverty
The third biggest city of Turkey, Izmir launches a new agriculture program to combat climate crisis along with poverty alleviation. This new agricultural economic model of İzmir, entitled the Izmir Agriculture, aims to combat drought and poverty collectively. The Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyer is targeting that this new model will become an inspiration not only for Turkey but also for the rest of the world.
Mayor Soyer defined the Izmir Agriculture initiative as “a project that can build a new agricultural economy in entire Turkey starting from Izmir.” He stated that there are two main differences that separate this new model from the mainstream agricultural policies which were implemented so far in Turkey:
“The first difference is resilience to drought. 77 percent of Turkey’s water is used for agriculture, according to official figures in 2019. If this situation doesn’t change, the water resources will be depleted soon. The Izmir Agriculture aims to reduce water spent in agricultural irrigation by 50 percent, through supporting the so-called “strategic products” with high economic value and low water consumption. These strategic products of Izmir, include olive, cereals, grape as well as sheep and goat livestock. Our new agricultural program protects our farmers and the citizens in our city against drought by reserving water resources for drinking purposes, instead of over-using for agriculture. The second difference of our new policy is that it aims at combatting poverty. Izmir Agriculture is not just an activity that is carried out in the field. The Izmir Agriculture embraces the entire process starting from sowing the seed until it reaches the consumers. We will increase the added value of our products, fight poverty and support welfare by planning sales and marketing right from the outset.”
The model will also provide citizens’ access to fair, healthy, reliable, and cheap food in the cities. The Izmir Agriculture will empower women and young people to have a key role in the agricultural economy. It will enhance the quality of life in the countryside and encourage small producers to come together in form of cooperatives. The six pillars of Izmir Agriculture protect indigenous seeds and animal breeds and sustain high biodiversity in the production landscapes. It will combat the climate crisis by using the soil, water, and seeds in a balanced way. Izmir Agriculture subsidizes and guarantees the purchase of local rain-fed agricultural products with high economic value that do not need irrigation. It will increase the added value of agricultural products by supporting branding and marketing. Finally, it will support Turkey's economic growth by promoting qualified agricultural products with high export potential.
The third biggest city of Turkey, Izmir launches a new agriculture program to combat climate crisis along with poverty alleviation. This new agricultural economic model of İzmir, entitled the Izmir Agriculture, aims to combat drought and poverty collectively. The Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyer is targeting that this new model will become an inspiration not only for Turkey but also for the rest of the world.
Mayor Soyer defined the Izmir Agriculture initiative as “a project that can build a new agricultural economy in entire Turkey starting from Izmir.” He stated that there are two main differences that separate this new model from the mainstream agricultural policies which were implemented so far in Turkey:
“The first difference is resilience to drought. 77 percent of Turkey’s water is used for agriculture, according to official figures in 2019. If this situation doesn’t change, the water resources will be depleted soon. The Izmir Agriculture aims to reduce water spent in agricultural irrigation by 50 percent, through supporting the so-called “strategic products” with high economic value and low water consumption. These strategic products of Izmir, include olive, cereals, grape as well as sheep and goat livestock. Our new agricultural program protects our farmers and the citizens in our city against drought by reserving water resources for drinking purposes, instead of over-using for agriculture. The second difference of our new policy is that it aims at combatting poverty. Izmir Agriculture is not just an activity that is carried out in the field. The Izmir Agriculture embraces the entire process starting from sowing the seed until it reaches the consumers. We will increase the added value of our products, fight poverty and support welfare by planning sales and marketing right from the outset.”
The model will also provide citizens’ access to fair, healthy, reliable, and cheap food in the cities. The Izmir Agriculture will empower women and young people to have a key role in the agricultural economy. It will enhance the quality of life in the countryside and encourage small producers to come together in form of cooperatives. The six pillars of Izmir Agriculture protect indigenous seeds and animal breeds and sustain high biodiversity in the production landscapes. It will combat the climate crisis by using the soil, water, and seeds in a balanced way. Izmir Agriculture subsidizes and guarantees the purchase of local rain-fed agricultural products with high economic value that do not need irrigation. It will increase the added value of agricultural products by supporting branding and marketing. Finally, it will support Turkey's economic growth by promoting qualified agricultural products with high export potential.
Önceki Haber
