IZMIR, Türkiye

Türkiye's oldest agricultural commodity exchange, the Izmir Commodity Exchange (ICE), has called for the transformation of production models in the face of the climate crisis, stating that it has become inevitable.

Established in 1891 on the initiative of a few merchants and officially opened in 1892 to regulate agricultural trade during the Ottoman era, ICE Chairperson Isinsu Kestelli said at the stock exchange's regular board meeting that Turkish agriculture is experiencing one of its most difficult periods in recent years.

Kestelli noted that agricultural frosts that hit almost the entire country in February, March, and April caused significant damage to production and producers, with harvest losses exceeding 1% in vegetables, 10% in grains and other crop products, and 30% in fruits.

Emphasizing that the most dramatic yield loss was seen in apricots, she said: "Under normal conditions, we expected 90,000-100,000 tons of apricot harvest, but now we are talking about 5,000-10,000 tons during harvest time."

According to Izmir Commodity Exchange data, there were yield drops of up to 60% in pistachios and 70% in cherries this year.

Losses in grains such as barley, rye, and oats reached 25-30%, while in chickpeas, it hit 30%, and in red lentils, up to 45%. Production losses were also experienced in cotton, raisins, dried figs, olives, and olive oil.

Kestelli explained that, like the rest of the world, Türkiye is being tested by agricultural production and the global climate crisis, with similar developments occurring in neighboring countries in the same climate zone.

She drew attention to the need to increase resilience against environmental and geopolitical risks in agriculture and food systems due to the climate crisis.

While noting that smart agriculture applications are coming to the forefront in the new era, she said practices such as water harvesting, drought-resistant seeds, zero tillage, and regenerative agriculture are rapidly spreading.

Precision farming, carbon-enhancing techniques, and credit systems could help Turkish farmers build climate resilience and generate new income, as Kestelli noted that farmers in developed countries do through soil carbon storage, urging rapid integration with AI and robotics.

In the EU, the Carbon Removals Certification Framework (CRCF) enables farmers to earn income by certifying and selling high-quality carbon credits from soil sequestration practices.

In Türkiye, outside the EU's CRCF, efforts include developing the national Turkuaz Credits system, voluntary market participation, and EU-supported regenerative agriculture.

Türkiye aligns with EU policies via its Green Deal Action Plan and rural programs, promoting sustainability and preparing for the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).