Minister Yumaklı: “We have started inspections in the cafeterias and canteens of 23 thousand places such as schools, dormitories, and study centers.”

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı stated, “We have started inspections in the cafeterias and canteens of approximately 23,000 places across Turkey, such as schools, dormitories, and study centers. These inspections will last for two weeks. We will conduct inspections with more than 8,000 colleagues in all 81 provinces.”

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı participated in the summit on “Climate Economy, Sustainable Agriculture, and Water Resources Management.” At the summit held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Beştepe, the topics of “the effects of climate change” and “sustainable agriculture” were debated.

Food production needs to increase due to population growth
Minister Yumaklı noted in his speech that the world population was 3 billion in 1960, and today it is 8 billion, indicating that the population is expected to exceed 10 billion in the next 26 years. He stated that due to the increase in population, food production also needs to rise, and according to FAO data, it is estimated that by 2050, there will be a need for 50% more water and 70% more food compared to today.

Turkey ranks first in agricultural output in Europe
Yumaklı also reported that thanks to efforts over the last 22 years, Turkey ranks first in agricultural output in Europe and ninth in the world.

“We have started inspections in the cafeterias and canteens of approximately 23,000 places across Turkey”
Pointing out that the ministry’s staff is working hard to ensure citizens have access to safe food, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı stated:
“I want to announce that we have initiated a new inspection process for our children and young people’s access to healthy food. We have started inspections in the cafeterias and canteens of approximately 23,000 places across Turkey, such as schools, dormitories, and study centers. These inspections will last for two weeks. We will conduct inspections with more than 8,000 colleagues in all 81 provinces. If we detect any non-compliance during the inspections, there is no doubt that we will impose the heaviest penalties on businesses.”

Citizens can report complaints to the ALO 174 food line
Minister Yumaklı stated that the most severe penalties are applied to businesses in cases of detected non-compliance and reminded citizens that they can report any food-related issues to the ALO 174 food line.

“It is not correct for the published non-compliance issues to cast a shadow over an entire sector”
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Yumaklı continued his speech as follows:
“Since October 2, we have started to publish fraudulent products and those that pose health risks online in real-time. We established this system to provide our citizens with accurate, quick, and transparent information. Our citizens are expressing their satisfaction with the new system across various platforms. In this sense, we are pleased to have raised significant awareness. However, it should be noted that it is not correct for the published non-compliance issues to cast a shadow over an entire sector. This is something we want to remind here. Because such non-compliance issues have a very small percentage, and we conduct these inspections to reduce those rates and to protect our citizens’ right to access healthy food. Therefore, I sincerely thank all businesses and institutions that perform their jobs very well and strive to carry out their tasks in the best possible way.”

Over 10,000 water and irrigation facilities built in the last 22 years
Yumaklı stated that over the last 22 years, more than 10,000 water and irrigation facilities have been built by allocating 2.4 trillion lira. He explained that by carrying out land consolidation projects alongside irrigation projects, they have enabled farmers to produce profitably and efficiently, aiming to strengthen the infrastructure of food supply security in Turkey.

The 4th Agriculture and Forestry Council will be held in April 2025
Minister Yumaklı also announced that they have decided to convene the Agriculture and Forestry Council again. He recalled that the first Agriculture Council was held in 1997, the second in 2004, and the third in 2019 as the “Agriculture and Forestry Council,” and stated:
“We plan to hold our 4th Agriculture and Forestry Council in April 2025. With a visionary perspective that will illuminate the future, we aim to discuss what awaits us in the agriculture and forestry sectors in the coming decades and to develop new strategies in this regard. We will provide an open platform for the contributions of everyone directly or indirectly involved in agriculture, including farmers, cooperatives, non-governmental organizations, academics, and private sector representatives.”