Turkey is preparing for EU membership. Agriculture is an important economic sector and policy area in both Turkey and the EU. In-depth analyses of the present situation are essential for identifying development needs and policy options for the Turkish agrifood and rural sectors. In an EVD financed project (Strengthening Research Capacity for Agricultural Policy Development in Turkey) Wageningen UR has assisted Turkish researchers at the Agricultural Economics Research Institute (AERI) to acquire the necessary capacity required to conduct sector studies and translate these into policy options.
Sub-sector analyses can guide the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) to formulate agricultural and rural development policies. The ongoing accession talks with EU make such sub sector analyses even more important since they indicate possible implications of EU accession. Indeed, through sector studies MARA will have the improved ability to appraise policy options that will enhance the Turkish agrifood economy’s capability to cope with increased international competitive pressure, and improve its ability to comply with EU’s acquis communautaire.
The approach of this project has been largely ‘training on the job’, using a ‘reflection and act’ cycle, where guidance, advise and technical input is provided by specialist from LEI and Wageningen International. The training involved lecturing focusing on theoretical backgrounds illustrated by relevant practical experiences and cases. Researchers were guided while practicing working on sector impact studies. Sector studies have been conducted for Cereals, Dairy products, Poultry and Tomatoes. The sector reports are available upon request.