contributed to the concern over food security/insecurity in Turkey. To guarantee the
food security of the growing population, to maintain price stability, and to create a
food policy for refugees, Turkey should increase its safety stock, especially cereals,
meat, milk powder and sugar products (Koç, 2012). TUİK (2016) estimates that
cereal production decreased by approximately 8.8% compared to the previous year.
Aside from self-sufficiency, it shows that these rates are eroding Turkey’s food
security. If the right policy response is not given, Turkey’s food security in the long
term may become unsustainable.
Another important condition for ensuring food security is economic accessibility
to food. As described in Amartya Sen’s first chapter, access to food is an important
component of food security. Low income levels, unemployment, rising food prices
and poverty make food accessibility more difficult. For low-income masses in
Turkey, even if they are not at hunger level, insufficient and unbalanced nutrition is
a significant issue. The most important factors influencing food consumption patterns are income level and lack of knowledge.
Low-income families consume more bread, while high-income families consume
more meat and meat products. The problem is not the unavailability of foods, but its
misdistribution among groups, based on different socio-economic levels, gender
and age groups. The highest share of expenditure by households in Turkey is 24.8%
on housing/rent and 19.7% on food and non-alcoholic beverages (TUİK, 2016).
When investigating nutritional habits, nutrition in rural areas is largely based on
cereals, and meat consumption remains quite limited.
8.4 Technical Support for Food Security
Most countries that are in the process of reforming their institutions in order to
develop their agricultural sectors and achieve their food security objectives need
technical support. After the commitments made at the 1996 World Food Summit,
Turkey gave priority to developing a number of activities and action plans. In order
to be able to prepare long-term development plans, increase training and capacity
development, raise awareness of global food security issues, and gain technical
support, Turkey decided to expand its cooperation with the FAO.
A ‘Workshop on Development of Food and Nutrition Action Plans in Southern
European Countries’, organized by the WHO and the FAO in March 2002,
prompted Turkey to develop the National Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition
(NPAFN). To this end, three working groups on food security, food safety and
nutrition were established. These groups were responsible for developing the action
plan, coordinating studies, finalizing the NPAFN and monitoring its implementation. The first phase of the NPAFN was completed by July 2002. Pekcan (2006:
160) listed the general objectives of NPAFN as follows:
134
S. İ. Gürsoy
food security of the growing population, to maintain price stability, and to create a
food policy for refugees, Turkey should increase its safety stock, especially cereals,
meat, milk powder and sugar products (Koç, 2012). TUİK (2016) estimates that
cereal production decreased by approximately 8.8% compared to the previous year.
Aside from self-sufficiency, it shows that these rates are eroding Turkey’s food
security. If the right policy response is not given, Turkey’s food security in the long
term may become unsustainable.
Another important condition for ensuring food security is economic accessibility
to food. As described in Amartya Sen’s first chapter, access to food is an important
component of food security. Low income levels, unemployment, rising food prices
and poverty make food accessibility more difficult. For low-income masses in
Turkey, even if they are not at hunger level, insufficient and unbalanced nutrition is
a significant issue. The most important factors influencing food consumption patterns are income level and lack of knowledge.
Low-income families consume more bread, while high-income families consume
more meat and meat products. The problem is not the unavailability of foods, but its
misdistribution among groups, based on different socio-economic levels, gender
and age groups. The highest share of expenditure by households in Turkey is 24.8%
on housing/rent and 19.7% on food and non-alcoholic beverages (TUİK, 2016).
When investigating nutritional habits, nutrition in rural areas is largely based on
cereals, and meat consumption remains quite limited.
8.4 Technical Support for Food Security
Most countries that are in the process of reforming their institutions in order to
develop their agricultural sectors and achieve their food security objectives need
technical support. After the commitments made at the 1996 World Food Summit,
Turkey gave priority to developing a number of activities and action plans. In order
to be able to prepare long-term development plans, increase training and capacity
development, raise awareness of global food security issues, and gain technical
support, Turkey decided to expand its cooperation with the FAO.
A ‘Workshop on Development of Food and Nutrition Action Plans in Southern
European Countries’, organized by the WHO and the FAO in March 2002,
prompted Turkey to develop the National Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition
(NPAFN). To this end, three working groups on food security, food safety and
nutrition were established. These groups were responsible for developing the action
plan, coordinating studies, finalizing the NPAFN and monitoring its implementation. The first phase of the NPAFN was completed by July 2002. Pekcan (2006:
160) listed the general objectives of NPAFN as follows:
134
S. İ. Gürsoy