THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
Aegean food exporters, who process the flavours grown in the plains, mountains, forests and seas of Turkey and reach billions of people all over the world and catch an annual export figure of 5.5 billion dollars, are trying to increase their sustainability competencies in food exports with the “Food Sustainability UR-GE Project”.
Aegean Exporters’ Associations (EİB) Coordinator Chair Jak Eskinazi stated that they aim to boost their competitiveness in international markets under the theme of sustainability by bringing together exporters operating in the food sector within the framework of their common needs and objectives within the scope of the International Competition Development Project (UR-GE) supported by the Ministry of Trade.
Explaining that exports in Turkey started with products such as dried figs, seedless raisins, dried apricots, olives, olive oil and cotton, traditional export products from Izmir and continued for centuries, Eskinazi said, “Dried fruit, olives and olive oil, aquaculture and animal products, fresh fruit, furthermore we are the leader in Turkey in the sectors of vegetable and fruit and vegetable products, spices, oil seeds, non-wood forest products. While the world population is expanding rapidly, the lands we produce are decreasing. For this reason, we have to develop production methods compatible with the goal of a green world and ensure sustainability in production. For this purpose, we are implementing the ‘Food Sustainability UR-GE Project’”.
Pointing out that the European Union announced the “European Union Green Deal” on 11 December 2019 with the aim of zeroing carbon emissions by 2050 and Turkey implemented the “Green Deal Action Plan” on 15 July 2021 to harmonize with the steps taken by the EU, Eskinazi added, “We support the ‘Green Deal Action Plan’. The mass production that started with the 2. industrial revolution; while expanding the comfort zone of humanity in logistics, technology, many sectors and communication areas, its reflections on nature were not as beautiful. Minimizing environmental and economic losses due to industrial pollution and wrong choices has become a necessity today. Our aim is to leave a better world to future generations.”
