Founded 15 years ago under the leadership of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Ekopazar Izmir has become an important platform where only organic certified products are delivered directly from the field to the table, supporting both farmers and providing healthy food to the people of Izmir. Producers who earn regular income by producing with organic methods continue production with their families and contribute to the development of young farmers. The stories of Ekopazar producers who spoke on the occasion of May 14 World Farmers Day contain important messages for the country's agriculture.
Organic Agriculture Revolution in Izmir: The Birth of Ekopazar
Ekopazar İzmir, which was established by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality in cooperation with Ecological Agriculture Organization Association (ETO), has been bringing healthy and natural food to İzmir residents for 15 years. The foundations of this important step were laid with the “Organic Agriculture Project on the Peninsula: A Sustainable Example in Organic Agriculture” launched by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality in 2010. Thanks to this project, İzmir farmers abandoned the chemicals used in traditional agriculture and turned to completely organic production. Supported by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Agricultural Services Department from the beginning, these farmers have managed to survive for 15 years despite the many difficulties faced by Turkish agriculture and continue organic production wholeheartedly. Heirloom seeds and organic certified vegetables and fruits grown with traditional methods meet the consumer directly at Ekopazar, which is established every Friday in Bostanlı and every Tuesday in Balçova.
Great Interest in Organic Products at Ekopazar
The products at Ekopazar consist of crops that farmers grow with great care and are meticulously inspected many times before they reach the market from the field. These healthy foods that reach the tables of the people of İzmir are presented to consumers in cloth or paper packaging in an environmentally friendly manner. In Ekopazar, which has attracted great interest from the people of İzmir for 15 years, organic products usually start to run out in the morning hours, which clearly shows the demand of consumers for healthy and natural food.
Full Support for Organic Production from the Metropolitan Municipality
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Agricultural Services Department Head Bülent Üngür stated that as İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, they have taken various steps to ensure sustainability in agriculture, to stand by the producer, to support local producers and to provide the public with healthy food. Üngür emphasized that Ekopazar İzmir is the best example of these efforts and said, “Only organic certified products are sold at Ekopazar İzmir. These organic certified products are constantly inspected and pesticide analyzed by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry provincial and district directorates, Ecological Agriculture Organization Association.”
Ekopazar: A Moment of Respect to the Farmer Who Produces Properly
Bülent Üngür stated that as the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, they will always continue to be on the side of the producer and said, “Ekopazar İzmir is not just a market place or a sales point. Ekopazar İzmir is a tribute to the labor of our farmers who stay away from chemicals, produce healthily and produce correctly. Our aim as the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is very clear. Under the leadership of our Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay, to provide our people with healthy food, to provide direct access from the producer to the consumer and to ensure sustainability in agriculture.”
The Importance of Ecopazar from the Perspective of Producers
Producers who have been involved in this project, which was implemented under the leadership of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, from the first day expressed what Ekopazar means to them.
Olcay Buyruk: Healthy Production with Heartfelt Work
Olcay Buyruk, one of the first farmers of the project, stated that the health problems in his family were effective in his turning to organic farming, and said, “Izmir Metropolitan Municipality came to our village with the Organic Agriculture Project in the Peninsula. They said we have such an application, would you join? Both my sister and father in my family had previously suffered from illnesses. That is why I was interested in organic farming. This business is a matter of the heart; you have to do it wholeheartedly, you have to do it with love. In today’s agricultural practices, very harmful substances are used for human health. We turned to this business because we know these things. It has been 15 years.” Referring to the sincere relationship he established with his customers, Buyruk drew attention to the fact that his products are regularly inspected and the importance of organic farming for the growth of healthy individuals. He also added that they can get as much yield with heirloom seeds as with hybrid seeds.
Aysun Akçil: Healing from Health Problems to Organic Production
Aysun Akçil, who adopted organic production as a way of life, explained that she switched to organic farming with the project of the Metropolitan Municipality after her health problems. “We are one of the first to start the project. We have been continuing since then. I had health problems. We started on that. I am also happy with my health now. We continue. We encouraged our daughters to do this. I eat organic food myself. We do not buy anything from outside. I had a tumor. I had three surgeries until I started organic production. When I was sick, I would go for a check-up every 6 months. Then they said come once a year. Then they said come every 3 years. So something has changed,” she said, emphasizing the positive effects of organic production on her health. Akçil stated that she loves her job and the best thing is that the products are non-toxic, and said that the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality took the lead and that they could produce more if the people of Izmir demanded more.
Ahmet Andaç: More Conscious Production with the Support of the Metropolitan Municipality
Ahmet Andaç, who has been involved in organic farming for 8 years, stated that he started this business with the aim of consuming clean food. Andaç, who stated that the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality provided them with support such as a compost machine and crates and guided them on when to plant and when to uproot, drew attention to the importance of the certification and inspection processes of organic production. Andaç, who said that they constantly inspected the fields and seedlings by taking samples, emphasized that the organic markets in Balçova and Bostanlı were the most reliable places in Izmir and touched on the warm relationships they established with their customers. Andaç, who stated that the new Mayor Cemil Tugay was also interested in the issue and sent his teams, expressed his satisfaction with the support the Metropolitan Municipality gave them.
Ekopazar İzmir has been going beyond being just a marketplace for 15 years and has been creating an important model that supports organic production, values farmers and provides healthy food to the people of İzmir. Thanks to the determined efforts of the producers and the sustainable agriculture vision of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Ekopazar will continue to be the address of healthy living and correct production in the future.
