Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind.
Ankara – Each year on 16 October countries around the world organize events to mark “World Food Day”, one of the most important dates in the UN calendar. This year, the theme of this special day was “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind”. Events were organized in more than 150 countries and in more than 50 languages to highlight the importance of this vital resource.
In Türkiye, a national event to celebrate World Food Day was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Federation of Food and Drink Industry Associations of Türkiye, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Representatives of international organizations, public institutions and organizations, the private sector, academia and non-governmental organizations and experts attended the event, which highlighted the importance of water amid the new campaign for water efficiency launched earlier this year.
The celebration opened with a special concert given by the Turkish Music Research and Promotion Group (TÜMATA), established to research and promote the development of Turkish music, especially the value of water therapy.
In a video messageprepared for World Food Day, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized that “there is no difference in nature between protecting water and protecting our homeland”. He further noted that “over the last 21 years, Türkiye has implemented many important projects that will guarantee sustainable water management and food security for our future, including water and irrigation investments that will support citizens, farmers and industrialists, and benefit our country”.
The first opening speech was given by Demir Şarman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Food and Drink Industry Associations of Türkiye (TGDF). Şarman emphasized the importance of taking measures to protect and efficiently use water resources, particularly in the context of climate change and population growth. He explained that unless necessary measures are taken, Türkiye will shift from being a “water-stressed” country to a “water-poor” country by 2030, with per capita water consumption decreasing by a quarter.
Şarman also highlighted the importance of our “water footprint” – the amount of water used and polluted in the production of products and services, encompassing nutrition, shelter, transportation, energy and personal needs, in addition to the water we use directly. As production and consumption in Türkiye is significantly dependent on domestic water resources, he asserted that “minimizing water risk and increasing water resilience – which will also improve the country’s position in the global economy – means placing environmental, social and economic sustainability at the heart of Türkiye’s water policy.”
The opening speeches continued with Viorel Gutu, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia and Representative of FAO-Türkiye. Gutu explained that transforming the agricultural sector is fundamental to providing solutions to the global water crisis. He also outlined the need for effective water management, emphasizing the need to equip farmers with the right knowledge and tools to use and manage water sustainably, and the importance of producing more with less water. Gutu further underlined the need for governments, the private sector, academia and civil society to collaborate in order to optimize investment in integrated water resources management, with the private sector functioning as the guardians of water. He closed his speech by stressing the importance of valuing water.
Renowned actor Engin Altan Düzyatan, a supporter of FAO, spoke at the World Food Day event about his personal efforts to improve drinking water quality and called for greater efforts to conserve water. “I want to highlight the importance of water for all and to shed a light on measures each of us can take to use water correctly and economically, and to teach and share these with others”, he said.
İbrahim Yumaklı, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, who hosted the event, informed the participants that current studies on water and food waste are clear in their findings, and that the focus now needs to shift to implementation: “I would like to emphasize to all public officials, especially my colleagues here, that we need to implement existing plans much faster”, he stated. “If we do not improve the way we use water resources, we will likely face a much more serious situation after 2030. It is therefore essential to implement water-centred agricultural production planning.”
In addition, the Minister highlighted activities carried out under the “Water Efficiency Mobilization” campaign, launched on 31 January 2023 under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, wife of the President of the Republic of Türkiye, under the coordination of their Ministry. He also provided details of the government’s Water Efficiency Strategy Document and Action Plan in the Framework of Adaptation to a Changing Climate (2023–2033), a road map for the next ten years that provides steps individuals should take to reduce their water footprint. Looking ahead, Yumaklı highlighted the importance of compliance with the European Green Deal and achieving national development goals, as well as “addressing the production costs of farmers and raising their awareness about agricultural irrigation”.
Following these opening speeches, plaques were presented to farmers and institutions declared “food heroes” for their important contributions to water efficiency and conservation. Awards were presented to Hayriye Kuşçu, a farmer from Eskişehir; Hasan Hüseyin Yücel, a farmer from Ankara; Chef Pelin Dökmen on behalf of the Mardinden Soil to Plate Cooperative; Uğur Zeydanlı on behalf of the Nature Conservation Centre; and Ramazan Erkoyuncu on behalf of Konya Seker.
The World Food Day event continued with a panel that discussed institutional efforts for water and food, moderated by Yusuf Ersoy Yıldırım of Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture. Panellists included Afire Sever, Director-General of Water Management at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; Ayşegül Selışık, Assistant FAO Representative in Türkiye; Kürşat Abidin Apan, TGDF Board Member and Chairman of the Environment and Agriculture Commission; Osman Yıldız, Director-General of Agricultural Reform at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; and Bülent Selek, Deputy Director-General of the State Hydraulic Works.