Details

The opening speech of Walter Glos, Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Turkey

The 3rd German-Turkish Economic Dialogue on “Modern Agriculture” organized by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Turkey and AHK Turkey was held in Bursa between 11 and 13 July 2021.

This event was held with the participation of politicians, experts, and sector representatives from Germany and Turkey to reflect the views of different assets on modern agriculture. At the event, main points such as the modernization of the customs union with Turkey, the EU's common agricultural policy, the impact of climate change on agriculture, the roles of modern industrial technologies and government policies on agriculture were discussed.

The agricultural sector is crucial for the commercial relations between Germany and Turkey. In this regard it was pointed out by panelists and commentators that even if the trade relations between these two countries are developing in a positive trend, efforts to improve are always necessary and the modernization of the customs union is important. To achieve this, investments in machinery should be encouraged, modifications should be built to increase energy efficiency, and start-ups should be supported with innovative solutions for the agricultural sector. At this point, the focus was on how the agricultural sector could develop in both countries. In this context, a comparative perspective on the similarities and differences in the agricultural system of Turkey and Germany was presented and future challenges were discussed. In terms of similarities, it was underlined that several farms are competitive in both Germany and Turkey. But still, the majority of farms have to work hard in both countries to earn a good income.

The other important point of the event based on how technology can be integrated into small farms in Turkey in terms of profit. It was argued that for this to happen, small smart vehicles should be provided to small farms and cooperatives should be established to finance such investments. Training of Turkish farmers was also presented as a suggestion. In addition, the importance of climate change and its possible negative effects on agriculture were mentioned. At this point, it was mentioned that various initiatives should be carried out. Such as respecting EU’s Green Deal, integrating digitalization, innovative solutions to become environmentally friendly and at the same time increase the output.

The COVID-19 process has been a major factor highlighting the importance of agriculture in this respect how fragile it is as a part of the food chain. The way to turn agricultural projects into financially stable and profitable businesses is through intense interest, an educated workforce, the application of modern and innovative technologies such as blockchain technology, and new marketing strategies. When considered in this sense, Germany and Turkey are already exemplary with their good trade relations and technology transfer. The basis of this trade relationship can be further developed by renegotiating and modernizing the customs union. After this efficient event, we want to state our appreciations for opinions and contributions of our all participants.