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Although Turkey has a high agricultural potential in terms of its resources, agricultural production is not as efficient as it is expected to be. July edition of Bilgi Cagi magazine focuses on ‘Agriculture’ in Turkey. Bilgi Cagi takes attention to the agricultural development and the role of technological implementations in Turkish agriculture by emphasizing its high growth potential. ‘Agriculture’ issue of Bilgi Cagi consists of views and comments of distinguished authorities in the sector and gives the opportunity to have a look at the general view of agriculture from inefficient plantation and irrigation methods to the use of technological solutions in agriculture.
TAGES CEO Leyla Arsan states there are not many private companies who are working on biotechnology, agriculture and food, bio-nano, traceability and water and agricultural environmental technologies. Moreover the number of projects of the Ministry of Agriculture remains to be lower compared with the projects in other fields such as defence and ICT. In order to increase the efficiency and sustainable agricultural development with the use of technology, Arsan suggests that the companies should be supported who will increase the technological development and employment potential in the agricultural sector, the agricultural R&D projects should be encouraged, cooperation networks in agricultural technologies and sub-areas are to be built which will include the farmers in the network, the farmers should be trained in using the agricultural technologies.
Despite having huge agricultural resources, Turkey lacks behind the OECD countries in terms of the R&D spending on agriculture. Cengiz Aktar from Bahcesehir Universitytakes attention to the lack of an agricultural strategy in Turkey and he thinks that Turkey’s backwardness in agriculture is due to the attitudes of the politicians. Unlike Israelor other European countries where the farmers benefit most from the science, there is a misconception that agriculture and science are excluding concepts in Turkey. Aktar emphasizes that the decrease of agricultural share in Turkish economy is regarded as a development; however he believes that agriculture has a high value to be turned to account in Turkey.
Europe Builds Cooperation Networks in Agriculture
Europe is now supporting the development of a ‘Knowledge Based Bio Economy’ that addresses the healthier and higher quality of food, sustainable use and production of renewable bio-resources, sustainability and security of agricultural, aquaculture and fisheries production, preventing and fighting with food related disorders. Europe is working to achieve through technology platforms who are working towards the EU strategies and also guide the European policies such as Plants for the Future, Food for Life, European Biofuels Technology Platform, The European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry and other related cooperation networks such as the CIAA (the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the European Union) www.ciaa.eu, COPA (Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations) www.copa-cogeca.be,COGECA (General Committee for Agricultural Cooperation in the European Union) www.copa-cogeca.be, EurAgrEng (the European Society of Agricultural Engineers) www.eurageng.net, EFFoST (The European Federation of Food Science and Technology) www.effost.org, SCAR- Standing Committe in Agricultural Research http://ec.europa.eu/research/agriculture/scar/index_en.cfm.
Successful Turkish Agricultural R&D Projects
European Union provides funding opportunities in agriculture and food for moving towards the aim of developing Knowledge Based Bio Economy. With EU funds, institutions prepare and develop innovative R&D projects that have implications for whole Europe. The magazine presents these funding opportunities for companies, public and private institutions and includes interviews on success stories of the companies such as Troyka who has participated in European projects on agriculture and food and has cooperated with European counterparts and Dizayn Group who developed R&D on agriculture without soil and Sabanci University Faculty of Natural Sciences who injected zinc to wheat.
To read more about the ‘Agriculture’ issue of Bilgi Cagi magazine you may look at
TAGES is one of the main contributors in Bilgi Cagi magazine which is published monthly with a vision to watch R&D and innovation processes of Turkey where the target mass is public organisations, NGOs, private sector, universities and all parties responsible for the R&D and innovation improvement of Turkey.
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