Environmental policy and administrative management

The goal of the project is to create replicable-sustainable examples of supporting nature conservation and save agrobiodiversity through awareness building and generating-supporting sustainable economical cycles such as organic farming and eco-agrotourism. TA-TU-TA, is the Turkish abbreviation for Tar m (Agriculture) Turizm (Tourism) Takas (Exchange) project. The abbreviation TaTuTa has been very much accepted in Turkey and widely used describing the project. In English the name of the project and the programme was evolved to Organic Farm stays in Turkey avoiding using the word tourism . This program aims, raising environmental awareness, promoting organic agriculture, and generating models of healthy, fair and sustainable consumption. The project responds to a need for supplementary income, as well as support to the smallholding Turkish farmers suffering from extensive tourism, unsustainable (economically as well as ecologically) agricultural models and erosion in traditional livelihoods and natural resources. Moreover, the project responds to the need of consumers approaching to the source of their food, to the soil and to farm life. Main actors: - 69 organic farmers throughout Turkey in 31 Provinces are the main actors of the project. Farm selections are done with care, assessing both farms and consumers expectations. - The project initiated and coordinated by Bugday Association (Bugday means wheat in Turkish). Bugday initiative initiated in early 1990s, the Association founded in 2002, became the catalyst for ecological living and practices. Bugday`s intention is to increase awareness and sensitivity to ecological values and holistic approach among individuals and society. - Bugday Association has later partnered with GencTur for the voluntary organisation at farms. GENCTUR is a company established in 1979 aiming to improve relations between Turkish youth and the youth of other countries and to develop cultural understanding through its activities. www.genctur.org Main activities: The project consolidated information about host farms, which comply with sustainability criteria, visited each and every candidate, assess the farms, helped to improve the conditions when necessary, and make the information of farms available to those interested in ecological and sustainable rural visits to organic/traditional farms. The project is composed of two inter-related sub-components. The first component, ecological agrotourism is expected to provide supplementary financial support to farmers that have taken up organic agriculture. These visitors are called "guest" (instead of tourist) who contribute with monetary funds directly to the farm in order to compensate the host farm for accommodation and other services rendered locally. The second sub-component, aims to realize the barter of knowledge and experience through voluntary training and support on ecological farms. Room and board shall be provided by the farmers in return for volunteers knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for real/physical collaboration on the farm. The visitors are named as "farm volunteers" participating in the farm operations with their labor, knowledge, and/or experience during their stay. The TaTaTa farmers, both wifes and husbands, in many cases children as well, meet every year for 2-3 days and exchange their experiences and give their feedback on management.

Turkey