Bio-diversity

Today s production and market conditions have been increasingly creating difficult living conditions for small scale producers. Whereas small producers have significant knowledge about food safety, conservation of agricultural biological diversity, sustaining traditional / ancestral forms of production and rational usage of natural resources. With these aspects of them, small producers are a solution for today s environmental and social problems. Organic (ecological) agriculture is an opportunity for small producers. However, they have difficulty in fulfilling the bureaucratic obligations of certified organic agriculture and it is not possible for them to make production economically and ecologically with organic farming standars. Their share in production is decreasing and they can not take place in decision making mechanism. As there are no alternative business areas for these small producers in case of not being able to sustain their production, keeping small producers in their places and improving their conditions, appears to be the only solution. At this point, the Participatory Certification Systems (CSR) programs mainly offer a free, low-cost, locally-based quality assurance system with social control and knowledge. CSR, as a free Third Side Certification System is of great importance for the disadvantaged and small-scale farmers who will particularly benefit the most from organic movement in order to progress organic movement constantly.

Turkey