Buca villagers at forefront of organic revolution
Posted by meb at January 28th, 2007
Four villages in Buca, Izmir have joined forces for farming the land organically. Their land is the biggest area in Turkey especially allocated for organic farming
METE TAMER OMUR
IZMIR – Referans
These days villagers in Izmir’s Buca District are feeling pretty positive about the future because they are ready to expand recent organic farming projects, which have shown tremendous promise so far, in order to secure the community’s livelihood for the future.
Their land is part of the environmentally protected Tahtalı Dam basin. All chemicals and fertilizers are banned from use on the protected land, leaving organic farming as one of the only viable options villagers have. So far farmers from four villages seem to be managing organic farming well and the future looks bright not only for them but also in terms of their region’s development. The villagers are scheduled to meet a delegation from Italy at the end of the month to further develop the scope of organic farming in the area.
The Belenbası, Kırıklar, Karaagac and Dogancılar villages have united under the Buca Villages Organic Olive and Olive Oil Project, covering nearly 1,625 acres operated by 260 farmers. The project which was launched in 2004 is the largest amount of land allocated to organic farming in Turkey.
With the support of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, the Buca Municipality, the İzmir Province Agriculture Directorate and the Izmir City Council, Buca villagers are taking huge steps toward becoming a new center of organic agricultural products.
While developing projects to make the region an eco-tourism center, Buca villagers are also implementing the Organic Market Project, where producers and consumers will meet.
Izmir Mayor Aziz Kocaoğlu said they were supporting the organic farming in the villages of Buca. “I visited the villages during Bayram. I met the villagers. We have been supporting the project from the beginning,” he said.
Daily capacity: 40 tons:
Izmir Provincial Agriculture Director Muzaffer Agar said they were planning to set up production centers, one of them being the 40 ton daily capacity olive oil factory at Dogancılar Village. All together, the four villages have a capacity to produce 100-150 tons of oil, Ağar said, adding that the olive oil project would change the entire region dramatically.
“Here, both the village muhtars and the villagers themselves are very interested in the topic. They are in constant dialogue with us. Our staff is conducting training sessions in the field. They train in every possible subject, from tree trimming to tree growing,” Agar said.
Alongside production facilities, showrooms and sale counters will also be set up. An olive packaging and soap production facility is also planned, according to Agar. Products will be named after authentic Buca names.
Agar also noted that they have obtained certificates for their organic olive oil. Within the framework of the Ecologic Agriculture Control Organization (ETKO), 55,000 olive tree saplings were distributed to the villagers, Agar said.
“We will distribute 35,000 more saplings. We have also distributed other materials such as plastic cases and leaves to be used as natural fertilizers. We have also opened a village bazaar at Buca Gölet for publicity purposes,” he said.
A delegation from Italy will arrive at the end of the month, Agar mentioned. The delegation is expected to examine the region and is reported to have vineyard projects in the pipeline.
The project is proceeding under the funding of European Union funds. “Wine is produced in small basins now. In Europe, special regional wines are produced. Just like producing special regional olive oil, we may as well produce special wines in Buca,” Ağar said.
Organic market project:
Belenbası Village Muhtar Bulent Altiparmak, one of the main players in the organic farming project, said they have completed the transformation phase to organic farming in one year to produce 100 percent organic products. They have been working on the project for two years, Altıparmak explained. He said: “We have displayed the organic products that the four villages have been producing in many domestic fairs. In every fair we participated, the consumer was asking how they could obtain these products directly, without any third parties. Then, we developed the organic market idea. We hope to open the way for eco-tourism this way with a few projects in our region. We are considering building a multi-purpose amphitheater within the market place. An open cinema, cafes and open stands are being planned. There will also be shops where organic or non-organic products will be on sale.”
Altiparmak said the market will be built in Belenbası Village. They have to solve some zoning problems but a file has been prepared and submitted to the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, he said.
Once the organic market project is finalized, the public will have a better understanding of organic farming and interest will grow, Altiparmak emphasized.
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