REX/219 EU-Turkey Joint
Consultative Committee
Brussels,
21th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Consultative Committee13-14 July 2006 Kayseri, Turkey
SYNTHESIS REPORT
on
Rural Development in EU – Turkey
RAPPORTEURS
Mr Frank ALLEN EESC Member – Various Interest Group
Member of the EU Turkey Joint Consultative Committee Farmer, Former President, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), Family Farm
Organisation – Former Board Member Irish Dairy Board
Mr Nurullah ÖZCAN Member of the EU Turkey Joint Consultative Committee – Various Interest Group
(PhD) Advisor to the President Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture (TZOB)
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1. The objective of the report:
The aim of this report is to give information about rural situation in EU and Turkey, to the
European Institutions to draw their attention, in order to meet the expectations of the rural
communities regarding rural development. As a common interest, more emphasis should be given
particularly promote employment, social security, education and training considering gender
equality in both countries to achieve better sustainable environment and rural development
2. Introduction 2.1 It is foreseen that rura1 areas in Europe and in Turkey will be radically changed during the
next decades. With EU enlargement allied to the fundamental reform of the CAP (Lux., June 2003) and the further changes that will continue after a WTO agreement. It will be essential to have a proper balance between economic, social, environmental and sustainable development of Rural areas in both Europe and Turkey which is the major challenge for the future.
2.2 Rural development has been considered as an important policy instrument besides agricultural
development policy devices since 1970’s in Turkey. This approach has become even more important in light of accession process and WTO agreements as well as the increased role of the rural development policies within the CAP.
2.3 Since its launch in 1991 the Leader Programme has encouraged active involvement of local
communities in Rural Development in the EU. Similar participatory approach has been adopted in rural development programme in Turkey since mid 1990’s.
2.4 In most rural areas in the EU primary agriculture has become less important in terms of its
economic weight and share of employment while the situation in rural areas of Turkey is just the opposite.
2.5 Rural Development policy has an essential role to play in promoting the viability of rural
areas and rural communities on which a healthy agricultural sector depends. 3. Driving Forces and Basic Challenges Facing in Rural Areas 3.1 Further reform of the CAP during the next ten years.
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3.2 WTO agreement resulting in further liberalization of world trade (especially for agricultural
products) and greater globalization of markets. 3.3 Demographic changes. 3.4 Need for investment in knowledge and innovation to deliver sustainable development of
Rural Areas. 3.5 The continuous reduction in the number of full time farmers and in the numbers directly
employed on farms.
4. Main Challenges Facing Rural Areas 4.1 Economic challenges
− Need to find new sources of income and employment, especially in the more remote regions.
− Some rural areas have high unemployment and under-employment problems combined with serious levels of rural poverty. Additionally, rural migration in Turkey results in several socio-economic problems in urban areas
− Significant variations in the structure and development of rural economies across the EU, indicating different levels of dependence on primary agriculture. Many new Member States remain heavily dependent on primary agriculture which is the case in Turkey.
4.2 Social Challenges
− Rural depopulation prevalent in many areas leaving behind an ageing population. − Lack of adequate access to public services, healthcare and education. − Population growth in less remote rural areas, with people commuting to work in cities but
not participating in the life of the local community. − Absence of suitable social structures causing social problems such as alcohol abuse.
4.3 Environmental Challenges
− Promote sustainable agriculture − Tackle problems of pollution and soil erosion − In the rural areas of the EU and Turkey financial support must be provided for sustainable
development policies. − Good agricultural practices must be consistent with protecting the environment. − Protect and manage Natura 2000 sites.
5. Policy Priorities
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− Reduce rural unemployment − Improve income Situation − Improve agriculture efficiency and competitiveness − Promote rural tourism − Improve rural Infrastructure and services − Devote greater resources to training and preparation for employment. − Encourage opportunities for young people to rejuvenate rural society − Need to promote women' s role in rural society − Adequate provision of healthcare and social security services.
6. Measures
6.1 Measures need to be taken to promote:
A. Entrepreneurship B. Employment C. Education and Training D. Consumer Awareness and participation E. Gender Equality F. Adequate Social security policies
6.2 Action needs to be taken on the following topics:
A Encouragement of investment in agricultural holdings
B Setting up of young farmer organisations
C Land improvement
D Improvement of marketing structures of agricultural products
E Improvement of public services for the rural community
F Renovation and development of villages
G Establishment and strengthening of producer groups
H Technical assistance
I Movement towards compliance with EU standards
6.3 Civil society dialogue need to be strengthened at local level .
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6.4 The role of women in rural society needs to be addressed. They must be fully integrated into rural society as full participants in the decision making and the development of rural society.
7. Rural Development Plan
7.1 In order to contribute to solve the problems of rural areas, a rural development programme (IPARD) which is one of the components of the new Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) will be implemented in Turkey from 2007 to 2013. Within this framework, priority will be given to measures to improve market efficiency, quality and health standards and to create new employment in rural areas.
7.2 In order to make use of the IPARD funds. Turkey needs to prepare a Rural Development Plan (IPARD Plan) for the years from 2007 to 2013 which will form the basis for financing the rural development measures under the IPARD and establish an implementing / paying agency (IPARD Agency).
7.3 In order to form a basis for a Rural Development plan and to establish the strategy for the rural areas in Turkey, the national Rural Development strategy has been prepared and it was adopted by the Supreme Planning Council and published in the Official Gazette dated 04.02.2006. The national rural development strategy has been prepared in conformity with the national development plans and within the view of harmonisation for the EU’s rural development policy. The strategy document constitutes a specialised guideline for rural development in which the quantified analysis of the rural situation, development opportunities, results of previous implementations, required strategies and priorities, have been identified.
7.4 The main target of rural development strategy has been identified as: the improvement of rural community welfare by increasing the employment opportunities. Development of human resources and organisation, improvement of infrastructure and physical services and protection of rural environment and natural and cultural heritage. Four strategic objectives to reach the main target identified are as follows:
• The development of human resources, the level of organisation and local development
capacity.
• The development of rural infrastructure and physical services and the promotion of a higher
standard and quality of life.
• The development of the economy and employment opportunities
• Protection and improvement of the rural environment.
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8. Conclusions The JCC calls attention to the following points
8.1 There is a need to develop good quality environmentally friendly and efficient farming practices In the EU and Turkey.
8.2 There is a need to preserve the landscape and heritage In the EU and Turkey
8.3 Development of rural tourism is highly important for both parties.
8.4 The need to increase productivity of agricultural holdings In Turkey
8.5 Investment in non farm business to increase employment and income level in rural areas.
8.6 Priority to be given to less developed and remote areas.
8.7 During RD policy implementation from 2007 till 2013, IPARD funds should be allocated fairly considering land size and farm population of Turkey.
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* * Appendix 1 Working Document on Rural Development in Turkey by Nurullah Ozcan Appendix 2 Working Document on Rural Development in EU by Frank Allen
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REX/213 EU-Turkey Joint
Consultative Committee
Brussels, 29 November 2005
20th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Consultative Committee
Working Document
on
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Rapporteur: Mr Frank ALLEN EESC Member – Various Interests' Groups
Farmer – Former President ICMSA Family Farm Organisation – Former Board Member Irish Dairy Board
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INTRODUCTION
Rural Europe will be radically changed during the next ten years. With EU enlargement allied to the fundamental reform of the CAP (Lux., June 2003) and the further changes that will continue after a WTO agreement, it will be essential to have a proper balance between economic, social, environmental and sustainable development of Rural Europe. This is the major challenge for the future of Rural Europe.
1. Background 1.1 Rural Development Policies (Initially in the guise of policies for the modernisation of
agricultural structures) have been seen as a necessary accompaniment of Market Support measures.
1.2 Rural Development policy became formalised with the 1999 Council Regulation on
Support for Rural Development co-financed from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee fund.
1.3 Since its launch in 1991 the Leader Programme has encouraged active involvement of
local communities in Rural Development. 1.4 In most Rural areas Primary agriculture has become less important in terms of its
economic weight and share of employment, nevertheless, Agriculture and Forestry play a key role in the management of Natural Resources in Rural areas and in determining the Rural Landscape and Cultural Heritage.
1.5 The OECD report Farm Household Income Issues and Policy Responses in OECD
countries (OECD 2003) found that farm income data does not give a full picture of the income situation of farm households as these households get a significant share of their income from sources other than farming.
1.6 Rural Development policy has an essential role to play in promoting the viability of
Rural Areas and Rural Communities on which a healthy agricultural sector depends. 2. Drivers of change 2.1 Further reform of the CAP during the next ten years. 2.2 WTO agreement resulting in further liberalisation of world trade (especially for
agricultural products) and greater globalisation of markets. 2.3 The need to have a proper balance between the price competitiveness of the
agriculture and food industry and society’s concerns about environment, food safety, food quality, animal welfare and sustainable development.
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2.4 Issues surrounding bio technology and GM. 2.5 Demographic changes. 2.6 Threats and opportunities resulting from global climate change. 2.7 Need for investment in knowledge and innovation to deliver sustainable development
of Rural Areas. 2.8 The continuous reduction in the number of full time farmers and in the numbers
directly employed on farms. 2.9 Withdrawal of agricultural production from marginal farming areas which will
adversely affect the unique natural and cultural environment in upland and wetland areas and this will result in such Rural regions having little opportunity to develop a multifunctional agriculture. Traditional landscapes will be replaced with extensive monocrop forestry. It is also likely that some or all of this marginal land will be abandoned resulting in the area reverting to scrub land.
3. Some Policy Issues 3.1 In response to CAP reform, EU enlargement, WTO Issues, allied to growing society
and consumer demands, Europe’s Rural regions are undergoing major changes. 3.2 Following the CAP reform (Lux., 2003) the overall policy framework had been
refocused towards Rural Development. 3.3 The central thrust of the Declaration formulated at the European Conference on Rural
Development (Salzburg 2003) is the attainment of a suitable balance between the dual goals of ensuring the continually economic viability of Rural regions and preserving Europe’s rich heritage of Rural landscapes and cultural diversity. The declaration draws attention to the importance of Agriculture in shaping Rural landscapes. It also stresses that “Competitiveness of the farming sector must be a key aim of Rural Development”.
3.4 Competitiveness must not be seen exclusively as price competitiveness, it must be
considered as a combination of price, environment, food safety, animal welfare and Rural viability.
3.5 The transition to a knowledge-based economy as envisaged in the Lisbon strategy is
also of great importance in the development of a competitive agriculture. 3.6 To ensure the development of knowledge-based Rural enterprises, extra funding must
be put into research and innovation strategies.
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3.7 OECD perspective of multi-functional agriculture is of an agricultural sector that jointly produces a range of commodity outputs (Food and Fibre) and also a range of non–commodity outputs such as the maintenance of rural landscapes, protection of cultural and natural heritage, support for rural social and economical viability and enhancement of food security.
4. Main Challenges Facing Rural Areas 4.1 Economic challenges (A) Need to find new sources of income and employment, especially in the more remote
regions. (B) Some Rural areas have high unemployment and under-employment problems
combined with serious levels of rural poverty. (C) Significant variations in the structure and development of Rural economies across the
EU, indicating different levels of dependence on primary agriculture. Many new Member States remain heavily dependent on primary agriculture.
(D) Policy Priorities
Reduce Rural Unemployment Improve Income Situation Improve Agriculture efficiency and competitiveness Improve Rural Infrastructure and services Devote Greater Resources to Training and Preparation for Employment.
4.2 Social Challenges (a) Rural Depopulation prevalent in many areas leaving behind an ageing population. (b) Lack of adequate access to Public Services, Healthcare and Education. (c) Population growth in less remote Rural Areas, with people commuting to work in
cities but not participating in the life of the local community. (d) Absence of suitable social structures causing social problems such as alcohol abuse. (e) Policy Priorities
Support social activities which enable people to feel part of the community Encourage opportunities for young people to rejuvenate Rural society Need to promote women’s role in rural society Adequate provision of healthcare and social security services.
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4.3 Environmental Challenges (a) Possible abandonment of agricultural land due to marginal viability leading to
negative consequences for the Rural landscape and the Rural environment. (b) Properties
Promote Sustainable agriculture Put in resources to avoid land abandonment Tackle problems of pollution and soil erosion Protect and manage Natura 2000 sites
5. Leader 5.1 The Leader Programme is an EU Community Initiative for assisting Rural
Development. It was first launched in 1991. The third Leader Programme Leader + 2001 – 2006 is in operation at present.
5.2 The Leader + Programme aims to encourage small business development and thereby
increase the economic and employment contribution that business, including small farms, make to the rural economy. It also aims to improve quality of life in Rural Areas.
5.3 Leader + priorities are delivered by focusing on the development of micro - business
and job creation. The target groups include women, the social excluded, young people, farmers and farm families and the long-term unemployed.
5.4 Local Action Groups are co-financed to develop and implement approved strategies
that take and integrated approach to address the needs of local rural areas. 6. Rural Development 2007–2013 6.1 The EU Commission has adopted a Rural Development proposal 2007-2013 aimed at
reinforcing the EU Rural Development policy. 6.2 The proposal will increase EU funding, amounting to total EU funding of EUR 13.7
billion per year for 2007–2013. By aiming to introduce a single funding and programming instrument, the new policy should be much simpler to manage and control. Coherence, transparency and visibility will be key focal areas.
6.3 Main features of the new Rural Development Policy.
One funding and programming instrument, the European Rural Development Fund (EARDF).
A genuine EU strategy for Rural Development with better focus on EU priories.
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Reinforced control, evaluation and reporting. Clearance of accounts audit system will be extended to all parts of Rural Development.
Member States, regions and local action groups will have more say in attuning programmes to local needs.
6.4 Main Objectives
Axis 1: Improving competitiveness of farming and forestry Axis 2: Environment and land management Axis 3: Improving quality of life and diversification
6.5 Each programme must have a Leader element for the implementation of local
development strategies by local action groups. A minimum of 7% of national programme funding is reserved for Leader.
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REX/213 EU-Turkey Joint
Consultative Committee
Brussels, 29 November 2005
20th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Consultative Committee
WORKING DOCUMENT
on
RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TURKEY (including employment, social security, training and gender)
_____________
Rapporteur: Mr Nurullah ÖZCAN (PhD) Advisor to the President, TZOB (Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture)
_____________
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CONTENT Foreword 14 Introduction 15 1. Current Situation with Statistics 15 2. Soil and Water Resources 16 2.1. Land and Property Relations 16 2.2. Land and Inheritance 16 2.3. Water Potential of Turkey 16 2.4. Land and Water 17 3. Agricultural Structure 17 4. Forestry 17 5. Social Infrastructure and Services in Rural Areas 18 5.1. Education 18 5.2. Health 18 5.3. Social Security 18 5.4. Training and Extension Services 19 6. Environment 19 7. Tourism and Culture 19 8. Organisations in Rural Areas 20 9. Socio-Economic Change in Rural Areas 20 10. Employment in Rural Areas 21 11. Situation of Women in Rural Areas 22 12. Rural Development Activities 22 13. Main Factors Limiting Productivity in Rural Areas 23 14. Consequences and Suggestions 24 Bibliography 25
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Foreword
The aim of this report is to provide the European institutions with information on the situation in Turkey’s rural areas, particularly in relation to education, social security, employment and the status of rural women, in order to draw their attention to these issues, ensure that their contribution is better targeted and accelerate civil society dialogue in the context of the accession negotiations that have just begun. On the one hand, the parallel reports on rural development in the EU will raise the Turkish rural population’s awareness of socio-economic issues, as they take note of the rural development policies and instruments being implemented in EU countries. On the other hand, like their European colleagues, Turkish farmers may come to play an increasingly leading role in socio-economic development.
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Introduction Since the formation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, the economy has grown steadily. However, economic growth slowed down in the mid-1990s in the wake of a fiscal and monetary crisis. There are wide disparities in income between the more prosperous, industrialised parts of the country in the west and south-west, and the less developed provinces in the rest of Turkey. Turkey’s variety of subterranean resources gives it great strategic importance in the region. In rural areas, these resources tend to be consumed heavily by the rural population. It is therefore desirable to maintain the balance between urban and rural areas and efficient use of resources. In order to achieve modernisation and development goals, rural populations need to be provided with services and this has brought rural development policies onto the agenda. Particularly in developed countries, much effective work has been conducted with a view to meeting the requirements of rural populations. In Turkey, the experience of rural development began with the planned economy period. During this period, a lot of effort has been made to accelerate development in rural areas, but unfortunately it cannot be said either that problems in rural areas have been solved or that the projects’ objectives have been satisfactorily achieved. Development could be achieved most rapidly if the situation in rural areas were analysed correctly, thereby shedding light on the social, economical, cultural and political problems and enabling the corresponding solutions to be formulated. 1. Current Situation with Statistics According to the results of the General Population Census, the total population of Turkey is 71 million. • 74% of the total population (52 540 000) lives in cities and towns • 26% of the total population (18 460 000) lives in villages (IFAD). In 2002, there were a total of 81 841 allocation units: • 951 municipalities • 2 265 city municipalities • 36 527 villages and • 42 098 related units. Residential units tend to be scattered in rural areas. This untidy structure is particularly common in the areas of productive agricultural land. This situation leads to difficulties and inefficiencies in supplying physical and social infrastructure services to these residential units.
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Infrastructure: Village roads have a very important role to play in terms of supplying goods to market on time and meeting the social requirements of rural people. There are 291 585 km of village roads in Turkey. As of January 2004, the highway network comprised: • 31% of asphalted roads • 44% of stabilized roads • 18% of smoothed roads • 6% of planned roads • 1% cement roads. Drinking water has been supplied to 89% of the population in rural areas. 2. Soil and Water Resources Soil and water are the most important natural resources in rural areas. The phrase, "the greater the pressure, the greater the yield" refers to concerns about the usage of natural resources in rural areas. The rural population lacks both the knowledge and processing technology to use natural resources efficiently. As a result, soil and water resources are becoming depleted. 2.1 Land and Property Relations Turkey has approximately 78 million hectares of land in total, 41 million hectares of which is controlled by the National Treasury. There are plans to register 50 million hectares of this land. 417 000 square kilometres of Turkey is available for cadastre and, as of 17 May 2005, 384 542 square kilometres (92.22% of the total) land registry has been completed. However, there are still problems with registration in most of the areas being surveyed. It is not infrequent for one piece of land to be registered to more than one person. There are also problems with property rights in some forest areas. 2.2 Land and Inheritance One of the major reasons for the relatively small size and fragmented nature of land holdings is the section of the Civil Law (Article 589) on Inheritance. Due to the inadequacy of Inheritance Law and inadequate budgets, agricultural holdings are divided into small pieces and fragmented, thus producing agricultural holdings that operate at less than optimum economic efficiency. Moreover, it has also been observed that the number of family holdings is increasing, whereas the areas under cultivation are decreasing. 2.3 Water Potential of Turkey Turkey’s water sources are divided into 26 major river basins which serve as water aggregation and drainage areas. The annual average rainfall intensity is 653 mm in these river basins. There are 186.5 billion cubic metres (m3) of surface water. The total usable water
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potential is 112 billion m3, including 95 billion m3 of drinkable water, 14 billion m3 from underground sources and 3 billion m3 from cross border sources. Total water consumption in Turkey per year is 39 billion m3 (or 34.8% of the total water potential). In terms of water consumption by sector, 11% is used by industry, 15% for drinking and usage and 74% for agricultural irrigation. 2.4 Land and Water Although 25 million 753 thousand hectares of Turkey’s agricultural land is suitable for irrigation, technical and economic restraints mean that only 8 million hectares can be irrigated. Currently, as of the end of 2003, around 4.7 million hectares were actually being irrigated. Irrigation is largely (95%) conducted through surface irrigation techniques. 3. Agricultural Structure The main problem facing Turkish agriculture is the fragmentation and small size of land holdings, which leads to high production costs and lowers farmers’ marketing power. Turkey covers an area of 78 million hectares, of which 36% (28.05 million hectares) is cultivated land, 27.6% (21 505 million hectares) is meadow and pasture, 29.8% (23 228 million hectares) is forestry and bush land, 1.1% (894 thousand hectares: Class-VIII land). i.e. is non-agricultural land, 3.9% (3 061 million hectares-Class VIII land) is land used for other purposes and 1.5% (1 158 million hectares) lies under water. According to the Agricultural Census conducted in 2001, there are 3 075 516 agricultural holdings in Turkey, covering a total of 23 million hectares of land. The average holding size is 6.1 hectares. The number of holdings that produce both livestock and crops stands at 2 072 897. Of the total number of farm enterprises, 3.6% produce only livestock. The share of GNP produced by the farm sector stands at 11.2% (at 2004 current prices). In terms of the composition of agricultural production, crop production represents 68%, livestock production 27%, forestry 2% and fisheries 3%. 4. Forestry The area under forest in Turkey comprises 20.7 million hectares, 99% of which is under state management. Recently, the government has encouraged corporate bodies and individuals to plant forests. 7.5 million people live in 20 482 forest villages. Forest villagers are the poorest segment of Turkish society. A Directorate General of Forest and Village Relations (ORKÖY) has been established in order to increase the income level of forest villagers. There are 2 921 development cooperatives in the framework of ORKÖY. It is understood that forest villagers have a per capita income of 150-200 US dollars.
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5. Social Infrastructure and Services in Rural Areas 5.1 Education The overall literacy rate in Turkey for those of six years old and above stands at 90% of the total population. In rural areas, the literacy rate is 82% for men and 73% for women. In Turkey as a whole, 23.5% of women are illiterate. Both teaching staff and material infrastructure are lacking in rural areas. Consequently, material conditions need to be improved and teacher numbers increased in order to bring a modern educational profile to rural areas. 5.2 Health Most rural people live in poor conditions and they need infrastructural improvements. This situation is important not only from a health but also from an environmental perspective . Rural health services are generally provided by local health clinics, health points, and mobile health services. There is also lack of health staff in these areas. 5.3 Social Security The Common Social Security System does not yet extend to all sectors of the rural community. There are 4 268 468 agricultural labourers in Turkey. Yet, as of 2005, the Social Security System for Artisans and the Self-Employed (BAG-KUR) covered only 1 000 935 people, whilst the Social Security Institution’s insurance system (SSK) covered 182 000 rural inhabitants. There are 2 800 000 rural inhabitants without any social security cover. According to statistics, green cards, which are given to poor people to access health services free of charge, have been issued to 1 000 000 people across Turkey, most of whom live in rural areas. Agricultural production is heavily dependent on natural conditions and this makes income levels in rural communities unstable. Turkish rural communities include considerable numbers of subsistence land owners, landless farmers, unpaid family workers and unregistered labour, who urgently need a well-organized social security system.
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5.4 Training and Extension Services Agricultural training and extension are the most important ways to improve agricultural production. The main problems with regard to agricultural training and extension services are a lack of infrastructure, resources and skilled people. A number of different extension systems are currently applied in Turkey, namely, traditional extension, advisory extension, a training and visit system and a participatory agricultural extension system based on voluntary attendance. Extension services in rural areas are run by the government. 6. Environment Being a transition region between Asia and Europe, Turkey has a rich variety of flora and fauna and indigenous species. It is also at the centre of the gene pool for Siberia, the Mediterranean and the Near East. There are 120 mammal animal species and over 9 000 plant species in Turkey. 33% of our plant species are endemic. We have a rich flora with about 3 000 endemic plant species compared to Europe’s 1200 plant species. Endemic plants are mostly found in steppe areas, which cover 21 million hectares or 36% of the total land surface. Birds found in the conservation areas (national parks) include cranes, ducks, geese, gulls, ibis, heron and flamingos. Wild animals in Turkey include boar, deer, wild goats and sheep, wolves and wildcats. Nine sites in Turkey are on the Ramsar list of Wetlands of International Importance. Two areas in Turkey, which are famous for their calcareous sediment, are the Göreme Valley and Pamukkale, which are World Heritage sites. For Turkey, the key sustainable environment issues are proper consideration of ecology, nature conservation and protection of the different ecosystems, species. 7. Tourism and culture The historical remains of past civilizations can be seen everywhere in Turkey from the big cities to smaller towns and rural settlements, from mountain tops and sacred valleys to the sea bed. The settlement pattern in Turkey today is more or less the same as it has been throughout the ages of history. Most cities have the remains of successive civilizations side by side or one on the top of the other, where cultural values have intermingled through the centuries. Tourism in rural areas has recently begun to diversify to fill different niches, including: water sports, air sports, bird watching, climbing, potholing and hunting and to meet the needs for local produce, handicrafts and rugs. Infrastructural support, including the provision of basic services, should boost the development of the rural economy.
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8. Organisations in Rural Areas The requirements of rural communities are mostly met by the public sector, which supplies the major services. Some services are provided by civil society organisations. The organisations which make an important contribution to rural areas include: special provincial administrations, municipalities and local administrations, farmers' organisations (chambers of agriculture), producer unions, irrigation and drinking water unions and village service providers. Farmers in rural areas have long felt the need to be organised. The Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture (TZOB) was established in 1963 in order to assist farmers and help resolve their problems. Its duties include: informing the authorised public bodies about farmers' problems, representing farmers domestically and abroad, supplying production inputs, finding markets for products by developing cooperatives and farmers' unions on a commodity basis, increasing farmers' incomes by organising vocational courses and providing training in their production activities. Its recently amended Statute now permits TZOB to establish insurance companies to increase services. The head office of the Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture is located in Ankara. There are 700 local Chambers of Agriculture and about 4 million registered members all over Turkey. There are several socio-economic, semi-official and civil society organisations operating in Turkey's rural communities. The most important are the agricultural sales cooperatives which are organised around particular commodities, such as olive and olive oil, cotton, hazelnuts, figs, sunflowers, soybeans, canola, mohair and wool, peanuts, raisins, apricots, roses and rose oil, legumes, red peppers, citrus and bananas and forestry products. There are also a number of cooperatives and producer unions, which provide services to farmers in relation to monetary affairs and the various agricultural commodities in the rural sector. These include organisations focusing on: agricultural credit, agricultural development, irrigation, fishery products, bees and bee products, milk and dairy products, cut flowers, silkworms and associations of beet planters and cattle breeders. 9. Socio-Economic Change in Rural Areas Due to insufficient knowledge and initial mis-implementation, the free market economy, which was introduced in Turkey following the 1980s, had a negative impact on some sub sectors of agriculture. This led to a crisis in, for example, the input supply and agricultural raw material industries. The privatisation of some State Economic Enterprises, such as TSEK (Turkish Dairy Industry) and EBK (Turkish Beef and Fish Institution), Agricultural Equipment Institution (TZDK) and Tobacco and Tobacco Products (TEKEL), which provided inputs for agricultural production and contributed to marketing, caused an increase in input prices which made it difficult for some small-scale subsistence holdings to work economically and produce agricultural commodities at reasonable prices. As a result of this, many agricultural holdings have changed ownership or halted agricultural production.
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This was compounded by a number of other factors, which also had a negative impact on the rural sector. These are: firstly, the inheritance system, which leads to the fragmentation of agricultural land; secondly, the market failure caused by the government's inefficient market intervention; thirdly, the lack of powerful, democratic, producer-run marketing organisations for specific agricultural commodities, fourthly, the lack of an effective government agricultural policy and the requisite financial, technical and administrational instruments to implement it. All these factors forced some rural inhabitants to migrate to urban areas. This has resulted in a shift from the traditional extended family to the small, modern, urban-type of family. Rural communities have different levels of economic and cultural development, depending on regional socio-economic diversification. In rural parts of developed regions, commodities are increasingly produced for the market. 10. Employment in Rural Areas The total labour force employed in the agricultural sector is 26 485 898, or 34% of the total population. State employment policy in rural areas has focused on implementing basic projects over limited time periods, which has meant that stable solutions based on specific factors such as natural resources, rural tourism, handicrafts, rural industry and local agricultural products have not yet been produced in sufficient numbers. If projects were to cover the social aspects of rural communities, the government would be able to increase the employment level. Another important issue in relation to rural employment is the lack of education. Since rural people are less educated than people living in urban areas, it is not possible for them to be employed directly in the industry and service sectors. Hence, studies of rural infrastructure in these areas should also take account of socio-economic value and employment opportunities should be evaluated in this framework. In rural areas, men represent 61.5% of employees and women 38.5%. In order to boost employment and build an effectively structured rural economy, it is recommended that: • Where necessary, the physical infrastructure should be developed in rural areas. More
specifically, village housing and roads, drinking water, electricity and sewage systems, education, communication and services, health and social security should be improved or provided.
• Holdings of an adequate size should be established by providing the requisite financial
resources and reorganizing the institutions needed for land consolidation. • Agricultural holdings should be modernized in order to boost productivity and improve
quality of agricultural commodities, thereby also creating employment opportunities.
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• Solving farmers' financial problems and providing them with marketing opportunities will
improve rural employment opportunities. • Training and education is vitally important in rural areas, in that it gives rural people the
capability to transfer into the industry and service sectors. Agricultural and industrial integration will also increase employment opportunities.
• Agro-industry should be established in rural areas in order to process particular
agricultural commodities. This process will involve educating and training the labour-force about their new professions.
11. Situation of Women in Rural Areas Differences in development levels between regions have brought changes to the position of women in society. With respect to tradition, custom, life-style and occupational environment, the situation of rural women differs from that of urban women. Women make up 30% of Turkey's working population of 21 million people. In rural areas, the female employment rate stands at 55-60%, especially in agriculture. However, women farmers and labourers, who participate in all sectors of production, do not have a sufficient share in the opportunities of economical development. In rural communities, women are engaged in many activities, such as work for the household economy, which involves agricultural and livestock production and non-agricultural work such as handicraft production and other income-generating activities. Most of the women working in farming enterprises are unpaid, since they are part of a family workforce. They earn wages only when they work at another farm. However, the average salary of women farmers is 286 New Turkish Liras, which is below the national minimum wage. Working conditions and periods, salaries, housing and health conditions and social security issues should be taken into account for the future improvement and restructuring of the sector. 12. Rural Development Activities The legal status of villages is defined by the Village Law, which was enacted in 1924. This legislation defines the legal status of farmers and provides for an autonomous structure for villages. Legislation on the provision of land to farmers came into force in 1945. A "Land Protection and Utilisation Law" came into force recently. It aims to protect agricultural land from misuse and includes the concept of minimum size, which keeps land holdings at an optimum size for economic production in each region.
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Rural development began during the plan period and has continued up to the present day, with a number of projects now completed and others ongoing. Rural development projects in Turkey are supported by foreign donors. They include: • Development Project on Fresh Vegetables and Fruit (MEYSEP) • Çorum - Çankırı Rural Development Project • Erzurum Rural Development Project • Bingöl-Muş Rural Development Project • Development Project for Stock Breeding (five projects) • Agricultural Extension and Applied Research Projects (TYUAP 1-2) • Yozgat Rural Development Project • Ordu and Giresun Rural Development Project • Sivas and Erzincan Rural Development Project • Eastern Anatolia Basin Development Project • Determining Suitable Methods for Common Forestry Development Project • Commodity Stock Exchange Development Project • Eastern Anatolia Project (DAP) • Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) • Eastern Black Sea Region Development Project (DOKAP) • Eastern Anatolia Development Project (DAKAP) The projects implemented to date cannot be said to have met the expectations of rural communities satisfactorily, including in relation to the prevention of migration. The problems facing rural areas are too complex. Accordingly, integrated rural development projects should be applied to introduce more effective services in rural areas. It is also necessary to establish well organised coordination between government institutions and civil society organisations. 13. Main Factors Limiting Productivity in Rural Areas • Land tends to be used for purposes other than agricultural production without considering
soil ability and classification. • The use of inadequate cultivating and fertilising techniques. • The lack of agricultural commodity production programmes and relevant instruments in
agricultural policies. • Insufficient physical infrastructure in some regions in relation to agricultural production. • Low genetic capacity in local animal species compared with high yielding varieties. • Insufficient animal health care and lack of nutrition in breeding. • Inefficient usage of production inputs. • Low productivity in yield per land unit. • Insufficient financial resources as well as a lack of financial institutions for agricultural
holdings, high cost of credit. • Inadequate relations on agriculture and industry integration. • Inefficiency of agricultural training, education and extension services. • Lack of information and documentation centres and difficulties in accessing these centres.
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• Inadequate budget and efforts to combat animal diseases and provide plant and animal health care.
14. Consequences and Suggestions The most important obstacle to rural development is the disorganised agricultural structure. In order to make the agricultural sector more productive, agricultural reform, including land consolidation and reparcelling, will need to be enacted. Rural development policies have two main dimensions, the economic and the social. Unfortunately, politics has hitherto been an obstacle to the application of an effective policy to resolve the land parcelling and inheritance situation that has prevented rural development efforts from achieving their targets. In addition to the landless families in rural areas, a number of land-owners have also halted agricultural production due to unprofitable production conditions. The percentage of forest villagers who are landless is put at 10%. The conditions of landless people living on the borders of forest areas should be taken into account when new settlement areas are determined. This undesirable social problem requires urgent attention, since the lack of job opportunities is forcing forest villagers to migrate to the cities. In order to maintain rural communities in their natural environment, prospective rural development policies should integrate agriculture, forest and industry. New rural development policies in Turkey must consider the need to make agricultural holdings an economically optimum size. Professionally–based agricultural holdings focusing on commodities such as livestock, fish and bees should be fostered by government in order to tackle marketing difficulties by increasing food quality. As a result, to solve problems and help the rural community in Turkey, some important steps should be taken: • Sustainable rural finance institutions should be built with outreach to the rural poor. • Farm holdings should be supported to enable them to modernize. • Farmers should be trained and rural communities should be educated better. • Remote agricultural areas should be rehabilitated to prevent erosion and floods. • The landscapes of rural areas should be protected from desertification and environmental
protection should be provided by cooperation between government and farmers. • Sewerage systems should also be considered in rural areas to prevent soil and water
pollution. • Rural tourism should be encouraged by ensuring the contribution of all rural stakeholders
and beneficiaries.
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• New rural development concepts and related instruments (such as early retirement, set-aside and the boosting of young farmers' situation) need to be introduced and applied.
Bibliography • National Pre-Strategy Draft For Rural Development, TKB (Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Affairs) • The 8th Five Year Development Plan, Private Specialisation Commission Report • S. Gürlük, Uludag University Faculty of Agriculture • www.ntvmsnbc.com • www.chp.org.tr • The 2nd Agriculture Congress, Turkey • Technical Congress of Agricultural Engineering, Turkey • Summary of Agricultural Statistics, DIE (National Institute of Statistics) • Summary of Agriculture Census Results, 2001 • Economical Report p. 447, Union Of Turkish Chambers Of Agriculture • Web pages of KHGM (Directorate General of Rural Services) and DSIGM
(Directorate General of National Water Affairs) • TKB, Task Creation 3: Draft Report of Rural Employment • Symposium on Agricultural and Rural Politics in Turkey, The Chamber of
Agricultural Engineers • Potential for Entrepreneurship and Opportunities for Estimating the Potential for
Entrepreneurship in Rural Area, Economics Forum • Possibilities for Expanding Irrigation Areas, The 2nd Agriculture Congress, Turkey
5th Session • Report on Irrigation on Turkey, TKB • Handbook for Farmers, Alper V. • Environmental Imperialism and the Example of the Ilisu Dam, Bilen Ö. • Food, Farming and Stockbreeding Magazine, HASAT (April, 2004) • "The Last Oasis: Lack of Water is Near", F. Şebnem Süzer, Sandra Postel. • 1995 Irrigation Year Activities, Participation of Farmers and Ware Management,
Turkish Chambers of Agricultural Engineers • ‘Water Potential in Earth and Water Condition of Turkey’, Tan M., Union Of Turkish
Chambers of Agriculture Publishing, Ankara, 2003 • Soil Conservation Lesson Notes, Sönmez K. Ataturk University Faculty of
Agriculture, Erzurum 1994 • Directorate General of Rural Affairs, Practices on Management of Irrigation Water
Koç Ö. F. • Directorate General of National Water Affairs, on Management of Irrigation Water,
Türker M. • The Symposium on "Soil Conservation, Agriculture Reform and Agricultural
Irrigation Politics" Result Announcement, TKB • Notes of Central Union of TÜSKOOP (Turkish Irrigation Cooperatives) • "Water: the Future’s Golden", Alim A.
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• "Importance of Water and Water Condition in Turkey" Aysu A. • www.earth-policy.org/indicators/indicator7_data.htm • www.cevreorman.gov.tr/su_00.htm • "World Water Day" Tekinel O. • "Drought And Water! The Uncertain Problem" Gürbüz M. • "Irrigation’, Akıncı M. General Directorate of Rural Affairs Publishing. • "The Cost of Energy", Aktaş M. Harran University Faculty Of Agriculture • The 5th Agriculture Commission Reports, The 2nd Economics Congress, Turkey • Agricultural and Economics Report, Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture • The 5th Technical Congress of Turkish Agricultural Engineering, 2000 • The 8th Five Year Development Plan • Summary of Agricultural Statistics, 1982-2001 • Notes of Directorate General of Land Reform • A. Agency • Data of Directorate General of National Freehold • www.ifad.org
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