Turkey is the largest producer of hazelnut in the world. In this article you will read the conclusion of a survey related to organic hazelnut production that was conducted by, Rapunzel Naturkost in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. In the Black Sea Region farms are small in size and around 400,000 producers are involved in the hazelnut production in that area. It has been determined that the producers’ welfare is greatly enhanced by the organic hazelnut farming and as a result it is being anticipated that in the coming future organic hazelnut farming will increase rapidly in this Black Sea Region.
From 60% to 77% of the total world’s hazelnut production is being done in Turkey. In 1998 a great increase in demand was seen during that time and as a result a need has arisen for new revelations to be imposed on hazelnut production and marketing.
hazelnut_roasted
The company organized organic hazelnut producers and production as a project in a specific location of the Black Sea Region. Due to limitations of time, access to the areas and finance, the 3 villages of Çamlica, Akçay and Derebaşõ, where 64% of the organic hazelnut producers in the project resided, were selected as the research area
A total of 100 hazelnut producers; 40 organic and 60 conventional hazelnut producers were selected randomly from the 3 villages. Then these producers were interviewed. The survey research method and its main tool, the interview method, were chosen for data collection for this project. The observations made in the field supported the data that was collected.
It was found from the survey that the meaning of organic hazelnut production was different between organic and conventional producers. This difference in opinions was due to the lack of general information about organic production and its objectives to support information about the specific project. This was the reason why the producers had very little contact with the company’s representatives, who had the job of providing them the reliable and necessary information about the process.
It was observed that financial benefits like premium prices and market guarantee were the single most important motivation for conversion. This information may suggest there is a positive relation between economic profitability and the adoption rate of organic hazelnut production.
green hazelnut leaf
The reasons why producers did not convert, on the other hand, were mainly related to the producers’ perceptions about potential production problems and the reliability of the company. The main reasons for these concerns were the lack of good examples and experience among the producers, and misconceptions about organic production systems. Production problems and issues with the company representatives were the reasons why some producers stopped to produce organically. Promoting organic hazel nut production may be an alternative solution for the over-production problem of hazelnuts in Turkey.
https://www.mymixednuts.com/seeds-nuts/organic-raw-hazelnuts – another source ?
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Every commercial hazelnut grower that I’ve met where I live uses roundup to help ensure that the ground is completely bare at the time of harvest for sweeping. How can nuts be harvested commercially without using roundup? I assume that organic certification implies that roundup cannot be used.