مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Extension and advisory services for organic agriculture in the European Union andTurkey

Abstract :

The European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2003 Reform compulsory rendered withinthe Cross Compliance (CC) under the farmers began to encourage the production system whichspecifically providing sustainable agricultural land as organic farming. Farm Advisory System (FAS) wasestablished to complete CC standards. In this context, in 2006 the Regulation of Agricultural Extensionand Advisory was issued to adapt for EU CAP organic farming policy and encourage private agricultural advisory system in Turkey. The purpose of this paper is to compare the agricultural extension andadvisory services for organic farming between the EU countries and Turkey. According to meta-analysis, extension and advisory services for organic farming classified in the EU member countries, by considering common and different aspects; compared them with Turkey. Turkey s extension and advisoryservices for organic agriculture are presented and necessary recommendations for the compliance of FASimplemented in the EU. The results showed that extension and advisory services for organic farming inthe EU vary from country to country but in most EU countries extension and advisory services isprovided by organic farmers organization, these organizations have generally received public support from the Ministries of Agriculture (MoA). In Turkey, the implementation of extension and advisoryservices for organic farming was determined that the public (MoA) was directly responsible. In Turkey, inorder to develop extension and advisory services for organic farming should be provided with strongorganic producers unions in the market like in the EU, extension and advisory support should be giventhrough these unions, extension and advisory services should be directed only to union members and should be included in the membership fee.