xAkkoyunlu

Agricultural Innovations in Turkey

Synopsis

The adoption of agricultural innovations is crucial for economic growth as well as economic development. However, in order to help leverage the adoption and diffusion of innovative practices, it is important to understand the process of agricultural innovation and its determinants. Using data derived from interviews, published materials, and observations, this study identifies the key factors that determine agricultural innovations in Turkey. Based on these insights, the paper identifies the characteristics of innovative farmers and suggests policy strategies to encourage agricultural innovations. The analysis shows that agricultural innovations are taking place in Turkey and various public and private stakeholders contribute to the development and adoption of innovation in agriculture. Agricultural enterprises and cooperatives, clusters of innovation, non-governmental organizations, research institutes, government, and international institutions play an important part in the collaborative effort to create and disseminate innovation. In this context, the right institutional incentives, good governance, and an enabling infrastructure are crucial for the facilitation of innovation. The diffusion of innovations through extension services and experts promotes the active participation of farmers and may also have a positive impact on agricultural trade through increasing global competitiveness. Innovative agricultural products not only generate increasing returns for the existing demand for these products, but can increase competitiveness internationally. Since agriculture is mostly associated with a low-margin commodities business with decreasing returns, the potential of innovation in agriculture in making the rural sector more competitive and at the same time more sustainable has been underestimated.

1. Introduction

2. Enhancing Agricultural Innovations

3. Methodology for the Case Studies

4. Agricultural Innovations in Turkey
4.1. Public–Private Partnership – Thrace Agricultural Research Institute (TARI)
4.2. Agricultural Innovation System (AIS)–FAO-MFAL Partnership Programme
4.2.1. Tire (a town in İzmir Province) Dairy Cooperative

4.2.2. Cherry Production in Kemalpaşa (a town in İzmir Province)
4.3. Agribusiness – Clusters – Gedelek Village in Orhangazi, Bursa
4.4. Agricultural Cooperatives – Bademli Arboriculture Cooperative (BAC), İzmir
4.5. Agricultural Biotechnology – Simbiyotek Biological Products
4.6. Governance
4.6.1. International Initiatives – Leader Farmers Project (LFP)
4.6.2. International Partnerships – The Honey Road (Balyolu)
4.6.3. NGOs – Özyeğin Foundation
4.7. Early Adopters, Late Adopters and Laggards – Erzurum and Kahramanmaraş
4.8. Extension Programmes and the Role of the International Seed Companies (Bayer)
4.9. The Role of Private Sector – Agricultural Banking
4.10. Smart Solutions to Agricultural Problems with Turkcell
4.11. Adjusting Technologies to Local Conditions
4.12. Government Agricultural Policies, Projects and Programmes – AGroFOod Clusters Platform – AGFORISE

5. Conclusions

Appendix

References

About Author

Dr Şule Akkoyunlu is a Lecturer in Economics and Finance and also the Course Leader of the BA in Economics, Banking and Finance.

She obtained a B.A. in Economics and Econometrics from the University of Istanbul, a MSc in Economics from the University of London, and a Ph.D. in Economics from Oxford University. She has held teaching and research positions at the Universities of Oxford, Kent, Bonn, Tel Aviv, California at San Diego, Zurich, Neuchatel, Bern, EUI, Vesalius College – Vrij University of Brussels, Tilburg, METU; the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, OTA, and DIW.

Her research interests include macroeconomics, international economics, economic history, development economics, econometrics, public economics, political economy, labour economics, demography, and international migration.

I am interested in supervising theses in the fields of economic development, migration, and finance.