THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
Aegean Exporters’ Associations (EİB) Coordinator and Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters’ Association Chairman of the Board Birol Celep said, “We believe that we should lead the way to show the whole world that the Aegean Region is a sustainable production centre. We, as Aegean Exporters’ Associations, which has 7 agricultural associations, adopted the goal of making exports with less carbon and water footprints and declared the year 2020 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’ in our in-house strategy development work and established a working group. We organized many webinars under the titles of the European Union Green Deal and Circular Economy within the framework of the studies for our institution and our members and to explain the new concepts that have entered our lives.”
A farm-to-fork strategy can be achieved with the cooperation of all stakeholders…
Defining the European Union Green Deal as the rule set of Europe’s new growth strategy, a new regulation affects many sectors and the main purpose of the EU as the zeroing of net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Celep continued as follows:
“Within the framework of this strategy, it is aimed to end the dependence of economic growth on resource use and to leave no one and no region behind. In other words, the Accord will create jobs and improve quality of life while reducing emissions. In this context, we have created a Farm to Fork Strategy. With this strategy; Increasing the areas allocated to organic agriculture, taking measures to significantly reduce the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers and antibiotics, food tracking for consumers (accessibility, where the food comes from, environmental footprint, nutritional value, use of digital tools, etc.), fight against adulteration, production of pests and policy changes in the areas of innovative techniques to protect against diseases, transportation, storage, packaging and reducing the environmental impact of the food processing and retail sectors on food waste. We can achieve these with the cooperation of all stakeholders in the value chain, namely the private sector, as well as public institutions.”
Green purchasing and supply chains emerge…
According to Celep, the agricultural sector is at the centre of the future of the world and humanity and the follow-up and adaptation of technological developments is indispensable for the sustainability and development of the sector.
“When it comes to sustainability in the economy, it is necessary to mention the concept of circular economy, which is valid in agriculture. The Circular Economy Model, as you know; While directing all individuals to renewable energy sources in the process from raw material to waste generation, it also encourages reducing consumption, recycling and reuse. It contributes to social benefit by directing new generations to sustainable business and life models. The model that enables us to combat climate change effectively creates more opportunities and new job opportunities for the business world,” Celep added.
“As sustainable production and consumption habits evolve, green purchasing and supply chains that adopt a zero-waste approach are emerging. We, too, are aware of our duties and responsibilities and for this reason, in order to create an ecosystem around the concept of circular economy, we first need to raise awareness among the members of the sector and the stakeholders we supply products to,” Celep concluded…
