Mersin Metropolitan Municipality aims to protect ancestral seeds, transfer them to future generations and disseminate them. 'Take from Nature, Add to Nature' This year, we achieved a first in cooperation with Tarsus Municipality with the slogan “1st Seed Exchange Festival” The festival, which took place in the historical Kubatpaşa Square, attracted great attention from local producers and citizens.
Slow Food Earth Market and Local Products
Before the festival, the President of the Women's Cooperative from Mersin Meral Secer and Tarsus Mayor Ali Boltac, has a rich product variety Slow Food Earth Market visited. In the market, organic and handmade products such as dried fruits, legumes, homemade jams, products specific to Tarsus (such as kömbe, Karakuş dessert), lavender and essential oils and wooden products were offered for sale. The presidents came together with the producers and showed their support for their labor and products.
Supporting Traditional Agriculture with Seed Exchange
The festival reflects the rich agricultural heritage of Mersin with its climate, geography and vegetation; Gulnar chickpeas, Silifke's Balandız wheat, Taurus' white millet and Şıhömerli's leklek beans Many ancestral seeds specific to the region were introduced. At the festival, participants exchanged the ancestral seeds they brought with them, thus increasing seed diversity and making a significant contribution to the effort to keep traditional agriculture alive. This exchange also encouraged the sharing of knowledge and experience among farmers.
Awareness Raising and Workshops for Future Generations
The festival appealed to all age groups and featured enjoyable and educational workshops, especially for children. At the 'Back to the Future' workshop Children who prepared their own banners from recyclable materials gained environmental awareness at an early age. In the workshop 'Wheat Sister and the Magic Wheat Grain' is one of the ancestral seeds specific to the Malatya-Kayseri and Sivas region. Zerun brought his wheat together with the soil. In the workshop, children had the opportunity to experience the cycle of nature by learning in detail about the growing process from planting seeds to sprouting and harvesting.
The festival started with the opening speeches, 'Seed and Food Sohbet'Next' panel The panel, which discussed topics such as sustainable agriculture, organic production and the importance of local seeds, ended with a Q&A session where participants received answers from experts to their questions about accessing clean and natural foods. This panel was of great importance in terms of raising awareness and spreading accurate information.
Authorities Emphasize Heirloom Seeds
Meral Seçer, President of the Women's Cooperative from Mersin, stated that the Seed Exchange Festival is very meaningful in terms of protecting seeds, ecosystems and health. He emphasized that heirloom seeds do not lose their vitamins and minerals and are healthy because they are grown in their own geography and season. Seçer, who explained the exemplary projects and studies they have carried out as a cooperative to bring heirloom seeds to light and protect them, underlined that they attach great importance to registered products with geographical indications. Emphasizing that the projects in question are of great importance for the small family businesses that grow these products to earn income and sustain their lives, Seçer said, “In order for small family businesses not to give up on this production and for new producers to participate in this production, we all need to realize and spread the importance of heirloom seeds even more.”
Adding that people tend to reach for healthier foods after the pandemic, Seçer emphasized that producers have the most difficulty in the marketing phase and that they need to be supported to survive. Seçer said, “Mersin Metropolitan Municipality provides farmers with seeds, fertilizers and the materials necessary for production. Farmers produce and we, as a cooperative, step in at the marketing point.” 'Mersin' brand Seçer added that they are pioneers in the dissemination of many heirloom seeds and said, “Heirloom seeds are very important for our health and future heritage. As Mersinden Women's Cooperative, we will continue to increase our work. Because we love our city and our world very much.”
Tarsus Mayor Ali Boltac He touched upon the importance of doing the right things in protecting, preserving and passing on cultural heritage to future generations. Boltaç emphasized that it is necessary to pave the way in this regard in order to lead societies, and emphasized that the value of ancestral seeds is not widely known today and that they need to be protected more.
Selçuk Şahutoğlu, Head of Agricultural Services Department, said that they organized such a festival in order to protect heirloom seeds, which are a cultural heritage, and said, “This festival is not just about taking seeds from one place and giving them to another, or taking them from one land and planting them in another place. It tells how and under what conditions the producer who planted that seed grew his product, how delicious the resulting product can be, the importance of growing heirloom seeds more efficiently and healthily with a sense of nature, and that we need to protect our lands.”
Full Marks from Participants
Those who attended the festival also stated that the event was beneficial. Tarsus City Council Environmental Working Group Chair Tuğba Korkmaz, noted that they came to the event with great enthusiasm and that the panel was very informative. Korkmaz said, “The panelists informed us about the studies conducted on natural seeds from the past to the present. I am also a farmer’s daughter. Genetically modified seeds have been used in agriculture for years. When these reach us at the consumption stage, they can cause many side effects and diseases. If we love our country and want to leave a beautiful country for future generations, we should show more interest in natural planting and products and be sensitive about this issue.”
TEMA volunteer Ferda Yahya Beyoğlu is, said that the dissemination of ancestral seeds is important and that people's awareness is increased thanks to these festivals, and said, "The land is very valuable right now. It was a very nice festival, but young people and especially university students need to come here more. Because we who come to the event are aware of the events, but it would be much more beneficial if we can guide the new generation who are not aware."
This first Seed Exchange Festival held in Mersin went down in history as an important step in protecting heirloom seeds, supporting local producers and ensuring future generations have access to healthy food. The spread of such events is of great importance in terms of preserving Türkiye's agricultural heritage and spreading sustainable agricultural practices.
