Organic agriculture in Turkey: status, achievements, and shortcomings

Turkey is one of the largest global organic suppliers for Europe. The number of organic farm holdings and size of total organically farmed land have significantly increased over the last 10 years. However, the country accounts for only 0.1% of the world’s organic agriculture market. Although there have been policy measures designed specifically for promotion of organic agriculture, production and consumption rates are still very low. The current knowledge concerning barriers to extensive development of the organic sector in the country has so far not been clear. A comprehensive approach that enables better understanding of the organic farming development can advance the arrangement of required strategies to overcome existing constraints. In this sense, this study aims to provide information about the state of organic farming in Turkey and address major issues which have negative impact on organic agriculture. The paper draws recommendations for solutions to identified problems which are categorized at the farm level, policy level, and market level. Our results point out the need for improvement in practices of nutrient management, input supply, training and extension services at the farm level, the provision of sustainable market access, and consumer awareness at market level. The policy analyses imply that integrating more realistic targets into strategies is necessary to build farmers’ financial and social capitals. Furthermore, improvement in the effectiveness of contract farming, strategies to support domestic markets, and assurance of the integrity and compliance with organic standards are expected to have positive effects on Turkish organic agriculture.