Are Agricultural Policies "Sustainable" in Turkey?

In the 1980s, neoliberal policies began exerting a widespread influence on multiple sectors, including agriculture, on a global scale. This influence led to changes in how farming operated, with traditional methods taking a back seat and natural resources being seen more as commodities. As societies industrialized, farming became more mechanized, which disconnected communities from their previous self-sufficient practices and led to a growing divide between people and nature. This disconnect disrupted the balance between humans and the environment, resulting in ecological imbalances.

Are Agricultural Policies “Sustainable” in Turkey? focuses on how neoliberal policies have negatively affected agriculture in general and specifically in Turkey. It examines the shift in farming due to neoliberal policies, looks into the ecological consequences of this shift, and explores how Turkey has been affected by globalized and neoliberal agricultural practices, including the exploitation linked to the new type of food production.

This book underscores the importance of local approaches, region-specific farming, self-sustainability, and food independence as ways to counteract the effects of neoliberal policies in agriculture. It suggests that stepping away from industrialized farming methods is crucial, and it encourages a discussion about more environmentally friendly and people-centered agricultural practices.

Aygül Akkuş received undergraduate education in Health Management and Public Administration. She completed her master’s degree in Ankara University, in the field of Political Science and Public Administration (Urban, Environment and Local Government Policies) with the thesis on neoliberal transformation in agricultural policies and its ecological reflections. She is currently continuing her doctorate education in the same field and works as a research assistant at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences of Cappadocia University. She took part in TÜBİTAK and national projects on rural development. She has published in various journals, book chapters and websites on agriculture, food and environmental policies.

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