Ravi Prakash Singh, senior adviser CIMMYT emphasized that wheat programmes in Türkiye have contributed greatly to international wheat improvement efforts and declared his happiness at seeing “such a comprehensive and collaborative assessment of the wheat sector in Türkiye, the findings of which are very exciting”.
Wheat is the main source of food for 35 percent of the world population and an important source of livelihood for 2 billion people. In light of the strategic importance of this crop, a UN Cooperation Project entitled “Supply Chain Analysis for the Turkish Wheat Sector – Building a Resilient Food System” was launched to provide a detailed picture of the Turkish wheat sector. This joint project was coordinated by the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Türkiye, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), in cooperation with the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The project has now come to an end and has delivered its main output – a report providing a road map to make the sector more resilient to crises. The closing meeting of the project, held this week, was attended by project partners and stakeholders, and shared the summary results of the report. Representing months of work, the report provides a detailed overview of the most important wheat production areas of Türkiye.
Delivering the opening speech of the meeting, FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Central Asia and Türkiye, Viorel Gutu highlighted some of the recent challenges facing the wheat supply chain, notably the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and the recent earthquakes in Türkiye. He further noted that “the project has made a thorough assessment of the socio-economic situation of the sector, and contains important findings and detailed recommendations for decision-makers.”
Mahmut Arslan, Programme Policy Officer of the World Food Programme (WFP), drew attention to the joint effort and commitment involved in producing the report, and stated that “The report will serve as a road map for improving the livelihoods of everyone in the sector.”
Taylan Kıymaz, Programme Officer at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Türkiye Office, explained that IFAD will work to increase the visibility of the project and hoped “that the results will contribute to further strengthening the sector against emerging challenges.”
Alvaro Rodriguez, UN Resident Coordinator for Türkiye, highlighted the importance of the project in ensuring regional food supply stability during a period of global instability. “We are going through difficult times”, he stated, “and are not on course to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”, adding, “but even if the global situation does not look favourable, I am hopeful about Türkiye’s progress”.