BUYSAD calls for a ‘SlowFood’ initiative from Bursa

President of BUYSAD, Coşkun Dönmez, stated that in order to increase Bursa’s gastronomy potential, it is necessary to initiate the SlowFood Movement and called for coordinated work of all relevant institutions and stakeholders in the city. President of Bursa Food Industrialists Association (BUYSAD) Coşkun Dönmez said that in order to enhance Bursa’s gastronomy potential, it is necessary to initiate the SlowFood Movement. In a written statement, President Coşkun Dönmez called for coordinated work of all relevant institutions and stakeholders in the city for this purpose. Dönmez also emphasized that it is not a correct step to only burden the food sector with the responsibilities of the upcoming events, stating that under the coordination of the Governorship, all relevant sectors should be included in this process. Dönmez said, ‘By creating a structure that everyone, including industrialists, athletes, tradesmen, civil servants, can embrace, if we can initiate a SlowFood Movement in Bursa, only then our city can be referred to as a gastronomy city.’
Gastronomy potential of Bursa in gastronomy tourism. Coşkun Dönmez stated that the SlowFood Movement initiated by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986 aims to protect and promote traditional and regional cuisine as an alternative to FastFood, encouraging local and traditional dishes. Dönmez pointed out that this organization also promotes the cultivation of plant, seed, and animal species specific to local ecosystems, while supporting local small businesses and sustainable foods, saying, ‘SlowFood focuses on the quality of food and opposes overproduction and food waste. It advocates for the protection of small and local farmers in the process of globalization.’ He said.
Citing the example of Peru. President Dönmez said that Bursa has not received its deserved share from the globally important gastronomy tourism for years and that it is possible to reverse this situation with the initiation of the SlowFood Movement. President Dönmez emphasized that with the joint efforts of the Governorship, Metropolitan Municipality, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chamber of Commerce, tradesmen’s rooms, and NGOs in Bursa, the rich cuisine of Bursa can be introduced to the whole world. President Dönmez said, ‘If Peru can introduce its country to the world with just Quinoa, we can do more with our rich culinary culture in Bursa, where the Ottoman Empire was founded.’
A large project for promoting Bursa. Coşkun Dönmez stated that Bursa is a very valuable city in terms of gastronomy, but it is not mentioned among the other gastronomy cities in Turkey. Dönmez said, ‘For this, we need a budget. How much should be spent on which meals on which days? We need to plan and budget such as promotional brochures describing the characteristics of the meals, media and social media activities without looking at the cost-benefit balance. If we burden a few companies with promoting Bursa’s gastronomy without considering cost-effectiveness, we cannot achieve efficiency. We must allocate resources and time for this task as food industrialists. We expect the same approach from other institutions.’
As BUYSAD, President Dönmez also stated that they have taken action to adapt and promote Bursa’s cuisine to the industry, and now they have prepared a more comprehensive project, emphasizing that within the framework of this project, Bursa’s meals should be promoted in touristic areas and places with intense human traffic. Dönmez said that meals should be served free of charge at certain hours at these points.
Sample projects and future goals. Coşkun Dönmez pointed out that Gaziantep has gained worldwide reputation in the field of gastronomy with the moves it has made in recent years, emphasizing that Bursa is close to Istanbul and transportation has become even easier with new roads. Dönmez said, ‘It is possible to attract visitors to Bursa from all over the world, but it is necessary to act together to achieve this goal.’ Dönmez also added that inspired by examples such as Alaçatı Herb Festival, Sığacık Village Market, Hasanağa Village Artichoke Festival, and Seed Exchange Festivals, Bursa could be a great SlowFood city.