As we believe sustainable agriculture practices are the right way to have the access to adequate, accessible, healthy food for everyone, we are conducting our efforts in our focus on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Access.
According to a report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2017, the world's population will exceed 9.8 billion people in 2050. Turkey Statistics Institute (TUIK) estimates that, the population of Turkey in 2050 will come to the level of 105 million. According to the most likely scenario, in 2050, these figures mean that global food demand will increase by 70% compared to today's average demand. Rapid increase of rural to urban shift of population in the world as well as in Turkey, is another difficulty added to increasing food demand.
The WEF examines the details of the sustainable agriculture and food system needed to ensure the proper and adequate nutrition of 8.5 billion people in 2030 and sets out four possible scenarios. The first scenario, which is the result of the high population and inadequate agricultural production that we will encounter in 2030, is only the access of sufficient food to the zone with high purchasing power. The second scenario alternative indicates that uncontrolled consumption, which will develop in parallel with population growth, will trigger global climate change, indicating a very high pressure on natural resources and exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet. The fourth scenario alternative is that there will be strong local markets in agriculture and animal husbandry, but the population who cannot have a healthy trade relationship with these regions will face serious nutritional problems. The third scenario put forward in the report is that an open-source Sustainable Agriculture can be achieved if food waste reduction, investment in efficient agricultural production methods, conservation of natural resources, strategies to combat climate change and sustainable development targets are prioritized.
Some of the activities of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Access Working Group are as it follows:
As this guide has published in 2018, in addition to the BCSD Turkey Sustainable Agriculture and Food Access Working Group’s updated version of Sustainable Agriculture Principles in 2015, it includes examples of BCSD Turkey, TUSIAD and the 15 member of UN Global Compact’s completed UN Sustainable Development Goals and good practice on the principles of sustainable agriculture.
Published in 2015, this guide is one of the first studies in Turkey that deals with the environmental, social and economic dimensions of agriculture from a sustainability perspective. The guide aims at raising awareness about the systems and practices which will improve the protection of agricultural lands, producers, the environment and natural resources.
Partnership of the 12th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Convention to Combat Desertification of the United Nations: The 12th Session of the COP took place in Turkey in 2015. BCSD Turkey played an active part in the COP12, and was one of the main partners of Sustainable Land Management Business Forum. During the Conference, BCSD Turkey pursued the objectives of addressing the issue from a business perspective, and including good practices from the world and from Turkey in the agenda. As a result of the Forum, Ankara Declaration, which expresses the position of businesses about land management is issued.
The 12th Session of the COP took place in Turkey in 2015. BCSD Turkey played an active part in the COP12, and was one of the main partners of Sustainable Land Management Business Forum. During the Conference, BCSD Turkey pursued the objectives of addressing the issue from a business perspective, and including good practices from the world and from Turkey in the agenda. As a result of the Forum, Ankara Declaration, which expresses the position of businesses about land management is issued.
This report is prepared through the cooperation between BCSD Turkey, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Nature Conservation Center and YADA Foundation (Yaşama Dair Vakıf) in 2013. The report emphasizes the requirement for treating the environment as an important factor in water planning and management in Turkey. Additionally, some of the experiences and approaches available in the whole world are also presented to readers.