FAO TALKS: Agriculture and innovation
Ankara – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held the first in a series of “FAO Talks”, attended by leading figures in the agricultural sector, on Tuesday, 16 February 2021. During the discussion moderated by Assistant Representative of FAO Turkey, Ayşegül Selışık, the participants spoke about the latest developments in agriculture and innovation.
The online event was opened by Ayşegül Selışık, who explained that: “For FAO, the relationship between agriculture and innovation also requires addressing agriculture and food in the context of food systems. Agricultural innovation is about strengthening the effectiveness, competitiveness and environmental sustainability of both individuals and institutions, thereby contributing to food security, nutrition, development and sustainable resource management. This issue affects our lives and needs to be talked about more. Innovation is more than technology for us. At the same time, innovation is vital for family farmers”.
The event continued with a speech made by the Izmir Commodity Exchange President, Işınsu Kestelli, who emphasized the radical transformations underway in agriculture, with disease control and spraying undertaken by drones, weather changes monitored by mobile phone, and everything from planting to harvesting carried out by unmanned machines. She explained: “It is not easy for farmers over a certain age to master the evolving technology. More than ever, younger generations are needed to implement smart agriculture. So we have to encourage young people to stay in the village and own their land”. In addition, Kestelli provided information about work being undertaken by the Izmir Mercantile Exchange to ensure the integration of newer generations and technology into the agricultural sector.
The conversation continued with a contribution by Nevzat Birişik, General Director of the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policy. Birişik stated that, “Our Ministry links the future of agriculture with R&D and innovation. In order to see progress in agriculture in Turkey, we must invest in R&D and innovation as much as other supports or infrastructure. We must produce knowledge and technology. Many of the technologies we currently use in agriculture were not developed for agriculture. Indeed, there are a lot of technologies available that we can integrate into agriculture.” Birişik also underlined the importance of recruiting young people to join the agricultural sector.
Director of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, Yiğit Ateş, explained that agriculture is one of the most important arguments for international competition and trade. However, he also stated that the strength of the agricultural sector in Turkey ensured that shortages did not occur during the pandemic, with citizens able to access food. He further claimed that agriculture and innovation are an inseparable duo, and emphasized that the issue of water consumption should be addressed with importance and productivity increased as soon as possible.
Associate Professor From the Ankara University Faculty Of Agriculture, Dr Ufuk Türker responded by explaining that farmers have had to increase production to feed more people over time. In this regard, accurate data and analyses are key elements, he explained, and are critical to obtaining correct results. Türker ended his contribution by providing examples of various innovative practices in agriculture.
The conversation concluded with a Q&A session with the speakers answering questions from the participants