AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY

Turkey owes its high diversity of plant species to a number of factors: its location as a geographical gateway between the continents of Asia and Europe, the existence of three different climatic types in a relatively small area, the low level of glaciation during the Pleistocene era, and the very high habitat diversity. Turkey has the richest flora in the temperate zone, with a total species count of 9000, nearly a third of which are endemic.

The geographical situation, climatic conditions and biological diversity of this land mass also meant that prehistoric peoples were drawn to Turkey, and it was here that the first farming began 10,000 years ago. Therefore the country is an important reservoir of crop genetic diversity for cereals, vegetables and fruit. This agricultural biodiversity expanded over thousands of years, with the contribution of many different cultures. Today, however, this diversity is rapidly being eroded by government agricultural policies, globalisation, population increase and other socio-economic causes. Diminishing agricultural biodiversity puts the food supplies of future generations at risk, and undermines cultural diversity.

According to publications by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, fruit production accounts for 9.2% (2,424,000 hectares) of a total 27.7 million hectares of agricultural land in Turkey, and according to the figures for the year 2000 annual fruit production totals 13 million tons. These figures largely represent production of commercial varieties, but it is traditional heritage varieties that are important where food security and agricultural biodiversity are concerned. Preserving and increasing cultivation of heritage varieties depends therefore on not viewing them merely as sources of genetic material for developing new commercial varieties, but instead recognising that they are the outcome of hundreds and thousands of years of agricultural skill and knowledge, and a source of many different flavours at different times of year.

The growing importance of markets in the rural economy has yet to come to grips with non-commodity values of agricultural systems. The subsistence goods, environmental services, and social-cultural benefits provided by agricultural systems and rural communities are not always perceived as economically relevant. How do we articulate the value of biodiversity for sustainable economic development? (FAO 2004).


LEGAL ASPECTS

Although it is not possible to achieve conservation by means of legislation alone, knowing the legal situation with respect to biodiversity is essential. Turkey is a signatory to international conventions on biodiversity:

The Biodiversity Convention drawn up at the Rio Summit in 1992 was ratified in 1996 and went into force in Turkey on 14 May 1997. http://www.bcs.gov.tr/sitetr/Kaynaklar

The "Working Program on Agricultural Biodiversity" published on the Turkish government's biodiversity website is the most important document where our project is concerned. http://www.bcs.gov.tr/sitetr/TematikAlanlar

This document lays down general objectives, approaches, guiding principles, activities and numerous other aspects of the programme up to 2010. However, no specific mention is made of heritage varieties. The document does refer to the need to evaluate the knowledge and practices of farmers and local communities in preserving agricultural biodiversity and agricultural ecosystems.

SUSTAINABILITY

Although the Fruit Heritage Project began only recently and is a pilot project confined to one of Turkey's 81 provinces, it has made rapid headway and attracted considerable interest. Our members have presented papers at several meetings and conferences (Regional Food Festival, Sivas, June 2007, Fourth National Horticultural Conference, Erzurum, September 2007, Antalya City Museum Project Lectures, October 2007, and the Organic Farming Conference, Istanbul, October 2007) and the response at these events has been enthusiastic and encouraging. We have also received many offers of help, which has raised our hopes that the project will be able to expand throughout the country with the support of volunteers. In particular, the enthusiastic response of local people to our endeavours to preserve the traditional varieties planted and developed by their ancestors has convinced us that the project has the potential to become a strong grassroots movement. The interest we show reaffirms the value of these traditional crops in their own eyes, and they are as delighted as we are when yet another variety is discovered and added to our database. In the district of Datca, local people whom Elisabeth Tuzun meets in the field ask her about the latest score for fig varieties, and are proud of the diversity of their figs and almonds. 

Of the 57 almond varieties recorded in Datça, only the unripe çağla of some varieties and a handful of the larger varieties fetch a viable price today. In consequence other varieties are gradually disappearing. 52 heritage varieties of fig have been found in this single district, while just one variety recalled by the inhabitants has so far evaded discovery, and may have died out. Elisabeth Tuzun's e-mail of 13 August 2007 about this fig shows the level of local enthusiasm for conserving their local varieties:

'We have failed to find the once famous Geredet fig, which apparently was the earliest to ripen; hence "Geredet" entered the local dialect as a term to describe impulsive people. However I have not yet lost hope of finding this variety, because here people propagate trees when they think they are on the verge of dying out. Some local people are so enthusiastic about our project that as soon as they hear their traditional varieties are endangered they immediately set about propagating them.’

In addition to these efforts by local people to conserve local varieties in their own orchards, the involvement of local authorities is vital. During 2008 we plan to bring together representatives of local municipalities and government agricultural offices with producers to discuss the issue and seek practical solutions. We believe that no solution that does not involve local people can succeed in the long run.

The project's sustainability also undoubtedly depends on developing marketing opportunities for at least some heritage varieties. One possible method may be 'added value' by such means as packaging and processing. Not every traditional variety has economic potential in our modern world, but every one is equally valuable in terms of agricultural biodiversity: some fruit early, some are good for making molasses, some keep well; above all, they are ecologically friendly, requiring little or no water, fertiliser and pesticides. This means that they are also healthier, both for us and the environment.

We believe that by making these characteristics known; and by stressing their value as an inherent part of local culture and cuisine, consumer demand for traditional fruits can be increased. The Mugla Heritage Fruits Catalogue, which we are planning to publish in 2008 will make an important contribution in this respect. We also hope that our website will encourage other people to launch similar projects in their own areas and provide a forum for gathering information about heritage varieties in other parts of the country. Setting up projects of this kind does not require large amounts of funding. The activities of organisations like the Kirazli Ecological Society, the Emanetciler Society and the Wheat Society, local cooperatives and individuals indicate that the conservation of all heritage varieties – including cereals, pulses, and vegetables, as well as fruits – is a feasible undertaking.