Food quality and safety situation in Turkey: Governance and barriers to success

Abstract

The institutional environment for food quality and safety in Turkey has been rapidly changing since the mid-1990s but there are still some inconsistencies compared with the European Union (EU). High costs of establishing quality assurance systems (QAS), inefficient capacity of the institutional frame, undefined consumer attitudes, low level of production techniques and lack of awareness of producers and consumers are important weaknesses, when evaluating the current food quality and safety situation in Turkey, whereas, rapid development of QAS, increase in consumer demands, harmonisation of legislation with the EU, increase in the research and incentives for quality production, and production potentials were determined as strong points. When analysing the socio-economic situation of farms, producers' knowledge, perception and interest in quality with Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), it is found that producers did not accumulate capital because of the low profits, a handicap for expanding and investing into production and product quality. Moreover, the producers' knowledge is limited and their quality perception mainly focuses on food safety. As a result, academic studies and research projects need to be extended and the adaptation of the Turkish legislation with the EU should be completed accordingly.Keywords: Food quality and small farmers, barriers for successful food quality, food quality system in Turkey.