Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
should already with application for certification know the potential final destinations of their
products to assure that both production standards and procedures for imported products in
the aimed market are met.
In Turkey, on the other hand, the Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock provide
extension service at the national level. In addition, due to organic production is made mostly
for foreign markets, advisory and extension services for organic agricultural producers in
particular are provided by private companies who contract production. Therefore, beside the
Ministry, the exporter companies also provide extension service for organic farmers [9].
In Turkey, the Ministry takes a major role on extension services. According to 2006 regulation,
private advisory system and advisory companies are encouraged. But the support method
behind this policy is not yet enough to develop the system. Provincial directorates of the
Ministry gave organic training to 1214 employees in 2003-2009 periods. In addition, they
organized 2093 training programs for farmers and a total of 40.010 farmers were given training
related to organic farming between 2004 and 2009. These trainings are extremely important.
For this reason, the number of training activities and farmers' participation must be increased.
Training activities should be more practical instead of giving theoretical information and
emphasis should be placed on improving the quality and effectiveness. To achieve this,
technical personnel in charge with organic agriculture departments must be provided with
adequate equipment and update their professional competencies to overcome with the
shortcomings in the sector. In order to develop the organic system in the central and provincial
levels, a strong extension model must be developed with adequate infrastructure, physical
equipment, and human resources. In order to institutionalize and build a suitable infrastruc‐
ture for organic farming an effective extension model must be developed. Because as it is in
developed countries, the development of organic agriculture in Turkey also depends on
farmers' training and extension and advisory services provided for this purpose. Undertaking
this mission in our country for many years, and organized in every province and district, the
Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock has been carrying an important task [9].
Turkey may learn about expert knowledge and advisory systems in the EU and the roles of
the stakeholders. In the European Union, advisory services are provided by the ministries,
advisory companies working under ministries, agricultural chambers, private advisory firms,
and private advisors. There have been an increasing trend in private advisors and advisory
companies in Europe. Most of the countries want to decrease the effect of the state in advisory
services, Yet, even in North-West Europe were farmers are on average much, much better off
than Turkish farmers, only the most successful are prepared to fully pay their advisors. All
others, including most organic farmers, rely on the state to at least contribute substantially to
advisory systems. Often this is done as a project based support to research one of the many
open questions concerning organic agriculture. Organic farmers in Northern Germany have
therefore founded “Research and Advisory Associations” [48].
6. Advisory and extension services in Europe
Organic farming is not simple production activity for farmers becouse of they have a huge
experience of conventional farming. For that reason advisory and extension service is vital for
