understanding of food security in Turkey, which tends to take a superficial approach
and dwells not upon the causes but upon the factors of the issue at hand. Turkey lies
in a geographical region which will be confronted with a very serious drought in the
next thirty years. Thus, it should create a food security agenda, plan control programmes, support family farming, form an independent unit on climate change and
food security, and develop future-orientated peaceful plans and policies.
3 In this
regard, Turkey should embrace new agricultural policies which ensure its food
security. Raising public awareness is also crucial for food security.
As one of the most important global challenges, food security has remained a
priority on the G20 agenda since Turkey began its presidency, after Australia’s
summit in November 2014. At the G20 summit in May 2015, the Agriculture
Ministers’ Meeting in Istanbul offered G20 members, international organizations,
observer countries and other invited countries the opportunity to exchange constructive views on agriculture and food security. At the Agriculture Ministers’
Meeting an agreement was made on a communiqué on food security and sustainable food systems. The communiqué covered actions to reduce food losses and
waste in the interests of establishing sustainable food systems. It also covered
enhancing employment and income in rural areas by improving the participation of
female and young farmers in the agriculture sector; reducing poverty; stressing the
role of the private sector in improving sustainable efficiency by focusing on the
needs of small enterprises and farmer families; and other issues of importance to
G20 members. The communiqué asked the summit leaders in Antalya to prepare a
G20 Action Plan on Food Security and Sustainable Food Systems for final approval
in November 2015. Particular attention was given to supporting food security in the
developing world, focusing on sustainable food systems and improving productivity in smallholder farms. Turkey was the first G20 Presidency to implement the
Food Security and Nutrition Framework (G20 Leaders’ Communiqué, 2015).
In conclusion, to protect its own food security and to achieve sustainable agricultural production, Turkey must institute sustainable land use and product planning,
preserve agricultural biodiversity, support family farming, utilize effective agricultural
and environmentally compatible methods, and increase support for rural agricultural
development programmes which encourage environmental protection on agricultural
land. Consequently, it is necessary to establish agricultural policies compatible with
social and economic policies at macro level to guarantee future food security.
References
Ataç, Ela (2011). “Rural Poverty Dynamics: An Evaluation on Agricultural Policies of Turkey”,
in: Gazi University Journal of Science, 24, 3: 559–572.
Barrett, Christopher B.; Maxwell, Daniel G. (2005). Food Aid After Fifty Years: Recasting Its Role
(Routledge: New York).
3
See at: https://tr.boell.org/en/2015/11/17/there-food-security-turkey.
138
S. İ. Gürsoy
and dwells not upon the causes but upon the factors of the issue at hand. Turkey lies
in a geographical region which will be confronted with a very serious drought in the
next thirty years. Thus, it should create a food security agenda, plan control programmes, support family farming, form an independent unit on climate change and
food security, and develop future-orientated peaceful plans and policies.
3 In this
regard, Turkey should embrace new agricultural policies which ensure its food
security. Raising public awareness is also crucial for food security.
As one of the most important global challenges, food security has remained a
priority on the G20 agenda since Turkey began its presidency, after Australia’s
summit in November 2014. At the G20 summit in May 2015, the Agriculture
Ministers’ Meeting in Istanbul offered G20 members, international organizations,
observer countries and other invited countries the opportunity to exchange constructive views on agriculture and food security. At the Agriculture Ministers’
Meeting an agreement was made on a communiqué on food security and sustainable food systems. The communiqué covered actions to reduce food losses and
waste in the interests of establishing sustainable food systems. It also covered
enhancing employment and income in rural areas by improving the participation of
female and young farmers in the agriculture sector; reducing poverty; stressing the
role of the private sector in improving sustainable efficiency by focusing on the
needs of small enterprises and farmer families; and other issues of importance to
G20 members. The communiqué asked the summit leaders in Antalya to prepare a
G20 Action Plan on Food Security and Sustainable Food Systems for final approval
in November 2015. Particular attention was given to supporting food security in the
developing world, focusing on sustainable food systems and improving productivity in smallholder farms. Turkey was the first G20 Presidency to implement the
Food Security and Nutrition Framework (G20 Leaders’ Communiqué, 2015).
In conclusion, to protect its own food security and to achieve sustainable agricultural production, Turkey must institute sustainable land use and product planning,
preserve agricultural biodiversity, support family farming, utilize effective agricultural
and environmentally compatible methods, and increase support for rural agricultural
development programmes which encourage environmental protection on agricultural
land. Consequently, it is necessary to establish agricultural policies compatible with
social and economic policies at macro level to guarantee future food security.
References
Ataç, Ela (2011). “Rural Poverty Dynamics: An Evaluation on Agricultural Policies of Turkey”,
in: Gazi University Journal of Science, 24, 3: 559–572.
Barrett, Christopher B.; Maxwell, Daniel G. (2005). Food Aid After Fifty Years: Recasting Its Role
(Routledge: New York).
3
See at: https://tr.boell.org/en/2015/11/17/there-food-security-turkey.
138
S. İ. Gürsoy