WHAT IS ORGANIC (ECOLOGICAL-BIOLOGICAL) AGRICULTURE?

Organic Agriculture: It is an alternative way of production which fights with agricultural diseases and harmful organisms without endangering the health of other living beingsand disturbing the ecological balance. It ensures maximum productivity by combining human with environment and sustainable agriculture system and uses the natural sources and energies at the minimum level. In short, it aims to protect natural sources while producing foods which are freed of any harmful things causing diseases.
Organic Production: It is a human and environment-friendly production system which aims to improve the product's quality not quantity while protecting the natural balance which was lost because of the inappropriate applications in the ecological system.

Organic Products: They are certified products which are grown through the implementation farmers and contracted under control at every stage between production and consumption. Nearly 112 types of organic products (pistachio, hazelnut, almond, bean, chick-pea and lentil) are produced and processed (olive oil, dry tomato) in our country.
Organic Product Marketing: Organic products are offered for sale at special sections at natural product stores or markets in the domestic market. Of the total amount, 98% of the production is evaluated as export to foreign countries such as EU countries, USA and Japan.

TO BE AN ORGANIC PRODUCT CONSUMER MEANS, GUARANTEEING OUR FUTURE BY CONSUMING MORE DELICIOUS AND HEALTHIER PRODUCTS.

ORGANIC (ECOLOGICAL) AGRICULTURE IS MADE TO LIVE HEALTHILY, NOT TO DESTROY THE FUTURE AND ABOVE ALL, TO OFFER GREEN AND BLUE STILL AS A COLOR IN THE NATURE TO THE NEXT GENERATIONS.

WHY ORGANIC PRODUCTION?

. To get a pleasant flavor and taste from the fruits and vegetables, which the young generations do not know at all and the old long for,
. To be fed safely, without any fear to contract any illness, in particular, the nightmare of cancer,
. To protect the biological variety without disrupting the ecological balance in the nature, and to transfer them to our children,
. To consume the GDO-free products,
. To be fed by products, which has been controlled and certified by the control companies, and such label of which has been written on them,
. To support and promote the clean product production, which is a systematic organic agriculture to last for generations, by using organic products as a conscious consumer.

It has been reported by the Organization of World Environmental Protection that 60% of the foreign grass medications, 90% of the fungicides and 30% of the pesticides, respectively, which are currently being used are carcinogen and every year 1 million people are poisoned from the intake of the agricultural medication. The prohibition of the DDT group pesticides in 1979, has speeded up the people's consciousness about this subject all over the world, starting from USA.

Today, the organic agricultural sector in especially EU countries, USA, Canada and Japan is rapidly being developed and the percentage organic products (all the grains, in particular fruits and vegetables, animal and processed products) are being increased day by day, reaching 10-20% of the total production.

The issue has gained a great commercial dimension with the passing of laws, necessitating the use of organic products in the production of baby food and nourishment for the age group of 0-2 in USA and of 2-6 in Germany as well as of resolutions for the 0-5 age group in EU countries. The international companies like Migros and Carrefour are opening stands for the organic product producers continuously, the companies such as Hipp, Nestle and Danone are producing organic baby food and Swissair is offering organic menu in flights via Germany.

WHAT IS CONTRACTED FARMER IMPLEMENTATION IN THE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE?

In Turkey, the contracted farmer implementation was introduced in the production of the Organic Products. In this implementation, the farmers and producer companies sign a contract in the acquisition of inputs at the stage of production and the administration of products at the stage of harvesting on condition that the right to file a suit is preserved. The contracted agriculture is giving a competitive edge to the producers by insuring markets, price, sales and premium.

WHY BECOME AN ORGANIC PRODUCT CONSUMER?

. To protect the health of children and ourselves in particular, our farmers who run 6 fold risk of cancer, by dealing with poisonous chemical medication and feed,
. To protect the quality of soil and water,
. To prevent the soil erosion,
. To increase and enrich the living things and organic substance in soil,
. To ensure energy saving,
. To prevent the disappearance of small farmers by contracting them and giving them premiums,
. To settle the marketing problems by buying the products of the contracted farmers, thus reducing the distance between the producer and the consumer,
. To safeguard the biological variety, by supporting the regional production and encouraging the production of the products which have come to become extinct,
. To create clean product by using GDO-free seed, and
. To increase the income of the producer by making cheaper and long-term closed production.

WHAT IS ORGANIC PRODUCT CERTIFICATE?

Organic production which is an alternative way of production in harmony with the natural environment is made through a self-sufficient closed system based upon the use of farm and local resources. In such system, the whole production process instead of the end-product is controlled and certified. The contracted farmers commit through the contract that they shall by no means use chemicals, hormones or feed. Organic products which are produced in compliance with the above conditions are granted an Organic Product Certificate, which confirms that the products have been grown under supervision, by the international supervision companies, with a supervision authority given by the Ministry of Agriculture and Village affairs.

The organic agricultural control and certifications are conducted by seven supervision and certification companies authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Village Affairs. The companies, which are of Swiss, French, German, Holland and Italian origin, are namely, IMO, ECOCERT, ETKO, CONTROL UNION - SCAL, BCS, ICEA AND EKOTAR.

ORGANIC (ECOLOGICAL) AGRICULTURE IS MADE TO LIVE HEALTHILY, NOT TO DESTROY THE FUTURE AND ABOVE ALL, TO OFFER GREEN AND BLUE AS A COLOR IN THE NATURE TO THE NEXT GENERATIONS.

WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF PROCESSING, PACKAGING, LABELLING AND MARKETING ORGANIC PRODUCTS?

. Organic product cannot be processed along with the conventional product concurrently in the same atmosphere. During the processing of the organic product, synthetic and chemical additives cannot be used, and all the hygienic measures are taken to preserve the organic nature of the product.

. Organic product cannot be packaged with plastic protectors and metal containers. The packages must be made out of exclusive, proper organic covering material, and all the hygenic measures must be taken.

. The label of the organic product should bear the following: its being an organic product, logo, name of the control and certifying institution,its logo and certificate no and date of production and expiry.

. Organic product is stored separate from conventional products.No chemical medication can be used in the store.The tables indicating the features of the store such as capacity, quality and air conditioner are approved by the control and certifying institution.

. Organic product,can be transferred to retailers and wholesalers in proper packages and containers in a closed manner to avoid the possibility of the mixture of the contents.

WHAT IS ECOLOGIC VILLAGE (ECO-VILLAGE)?

Ecovillages are small rural or urban communities, uniting the organic agricultural implementations with the supplementary social relations. These models aim to renew the vital systems, to contribute to the development of all the individuals and to form a way of living which would enhance the harmony between the human beings and the nature.

ECOVILLAGES AND ECOTOURISM BRING CONSCIOUS PRODUCTION AND ADDITIONAL INCOME RESOURCES.