A GROUP from Kuşadası, Selçuk and Söke have begun to create a food community at the Ecosystem Conservation and Nature Lovers Association.

“While there are food communities in many parts of Turkey, why isn’t there such a formation in our region?” 

A group of consumers from Kusadasi, Selçuk and Söke started working for the consumer food community. The group made a presentation to environmentalists in Kuşadası.

The current facilitator of the group, Demet Atınç, talks about the functioning of some food communities in Turkey, non-toxic and unmediated food compatible with nature, trust-based inspections, community supported agriculture models, the importance of local and seasonal nutrition, supporting small producers, protecting biodiversity, and recycling waste.

Bilgesu Şamiloğlu, one of the first producers of the community, gave examples of working examples and the problems of certification systems, while producer Bihter Ekener talked about how to take precautions in lands close to poisoning areas. 

Chef Damla Özay, who does not give up seasonal and local products in her kitchen, emphasized the importance of being included in such communities.

Stating that among the dozens of food communities in Turkey that have been functioning for a long time, the group stated that they are supported by local governments, and they said that they will meet again to discuss the basic principles of the community, the distribution of volunteer-producer, producer duties, the lists of needs and the search for producers accordingly. 

They also underlined that they want to bring together those who want to access clean, healthy and fair food in harmony with nature and everyone who produces with this vision to the community.