Benefits of Urban Greening
Harnessing the Power of Plants
The Istanbul Food Strategy Document, which focuses on supporting production in the face of Istanbul’s food addiction, increasing urban residents’ access to healthy food and increasing their resilience was prepared. In the Istanbul Food Strategy Document, global trends were examined, the current situation was analysed, and short, medium and long-term concrete policies were put forward.
- Protecting Istanbul’s Rural Regions and Producers
- Fighting Hunger, Access to Food, Social Security and Justice
- Healthy Food and Nutrition Policies
- Ensuring Food and Water Safety
- Climate Crisis and Nature-Friendly, Stable Agriculture
- Preventing Waste product of food, Waste and Loss
Focus areas such as “Making Istanbul Resistant to Disasters” and “Crisis Management” were determined and solutions were developed. The green texture of the city is protected with studies, supports, greening works and other activities. However, the urbanisation and increase in population faced by metropolitan cities threaten the future of production activities.
According to our activities, the production rate and number of farmers in the city increased. With the implementation of the short, medium and long-term goals in the Food Strategy Document, significant progress has been made in leaving a greener future for future generations. With the studies carried out, both rural development was targeted and the aim was to shorten the supply chain in access to food. While all these were being achieved, issues such as healthy food and food safety were focused on.
Delivering Multiple Benefits
Primarily, the relevant unit of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the Agricultural Services Department and the implementation unit, the Agriculture and Fisheries Branch Directorate. Meetings and visits were held with Istanbul farmers, different units of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and other shareholders (such as chambers of agriculture, development cooperatives and producer unions). In the meetings and visits, the focus was on the main reasons for the problems experienced by farmers in production and those who have given up farming in recent years. It has been seen that there are common demands regarding “increasing agricultural input costs”. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality units, which have adopted the mission of acting with common sense, have carried out research on the subject in the light of the data obtained. It has been seen that there are common demands regarding “increasing agricultural input costs”.
The City’s Bold and Innovative Vision
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has a distinct position from other authorities. Istanbul has always been among the largest metropolises in the world and its practices encourage agriculture in a city of this size.
The work carried out in this direction is within the scope of public service in accordance with the legislation and is financed by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality with the contributions of local partners.
Partnerships and Collaboration
The initiative is carried out in coordination with chambers of agriculture, agricultural development cooperatives, producer unions, non-governmental organisations and headmen’s offices.
At the same time, if necessary, processes are managed by collaborating with different units within the institution.
For example, in the case of road and infrastructure problems in areas where agricultural activities are carried out, the relevant unit of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is contacted and the issue is resolved. The most striking example in this regard is, acting together with the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (IWSA) in the transition to a closed circuit irrigation system in the ponds used for agricultural irrigation in Istanbul.
Addressing Urban Challenges
The Issue
The increase in the rate of urbanisation, the opening of new building areas, the insufficiency of the building stock, and the expectations of landowners about opening up agricultural lands for development have led to a decrease in agricultural areas and the lack of active use of existing agricultural lands. Agricultural areas, which were 93,560 hectares in 1995, decreased by approximately 25% to 71,852 hectares in 2020. (Source: https://corinecbs.tarimorman.gov.tr/; TÜİK, 2020. Regional Statistics; World Bank, 2020.) With the work carried out by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the decline in the number of actively used agricultural lands has stopped and started to increase. If the activities and services provided do not continue, there is a risk of the decline happening again.
The Impact of the Issue
If we need to give an example of unbiased academic articles that remain up-to-date when looking at the literature, Sivas Cumhuriyet University (SCÜ) Faculty of Engineering Department of Surveying Engineering Lecturer Assoc. Dr. İsmail Ercüment Ayazlı leading the team has prepared Istanbul’s ‘Urban Expansion Risk Map for 2040’. According to the results obtained from the study, the importance of the issue was emphasised by stating that 37% of agricultural lands and 21% of forests in Istanbul are under the threat of urbanisation.
A Nature Orientated Future
As a result of the simulations, “The topic we are all talking about right now is agriculture and forest. Because the pandemic showed us this. The two most important things that human beings need are clean air and organic nutrition that will strengthen the immune system.” We provide these with our agricultural lands and forests.
The most important pressure on them is urbanisation pressure. Although the world population increases every year, the rural population is constantly decreasing, and the urban population is expected to approach 70 percent by 2050. This means that by 2050, each person living in rural areas must work three times more. The issue was evaluated as “so that they can feed the people living in the city and themselves.” The academic article can be accessed from this link.
Nature Positive Solutions
Implementation
In the studies carried out with the motto of Productive Istanbul, ensuring that farmers do not give up production and that they prefer production against the urbanisation pressure of rural areas of Istanbul, is considered among our goals.
Feasibility
A study called Agricultural Data Research was conducted by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 2020 to determine the general conditions, agricultural and animal assets, needs and product patterns of rural neighbourhoods. The study is of a feasibile nature and covers 211 rural neighbourhoods (14 districts) in Istanbul. As a result of the study, Istanbul’s agricultural existence, current situation and potential have been revealed more clearly. In addition, in the demands coming from the area where the urban population of Istanbul lives and are defined as consumers, the longing for the countryside and the demand to increase the agricultural areas in the city have been encountered.
In addition, studies were carried out for consumer groups in the city. To satisfy the longing of our citizens living in the city for soil, for the first time in 2022 with the public garden service operating in three neighbourhoods of Istanbul, The “Public Garden” project was initiated to improve solidarity and neighbourly relations among apartments, and neighbourhood residents who live in the same apartment building but do not know each other.
Applications are made to the neighbourhood headman, and the beneficiaries are determined by lottery method under the supervision of the Neighbourhood Headman, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Agriculture and Fisheries Branch Directorate Representative, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Anatolian Side Mukhtars Branch Directorate representative and the applicants.
Multi-Stakeholder Support
Many shareholders from the sector, especially the internal units of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, are involved in the studies. In this context, chambers of agriculture, development cooperatives, producer unions and headmen were among the most important shareholders in the activities carried out under the title of “Productive Istanbul”. Professional collaborations have also been developed with the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers. In addition, project partnerships have been developed between Istanbul Development Agency, Istanbul University and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality with the project implemented under the name of Soil to Net Food Monitoring Model.
Management and Maintenance
In order to overcome the obstacles that may be encountered regarding legal regulations, the “Agricultural Support Directive” was prepared and presented to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council. The directive discussed by the city council was approved. In order to prevent possible problems related to subsidies, people with land holdings smaller than one dectare have been excluded from the scope. The upper limit is left to the discretion of the established Evaluation Commission. In addition, the application conditions include the obligation to have a Farmer Registration Certificate issued to farmers by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. It was committed before the application that those who did not plant the seedlings delivered to them or who transferred them to someone else would not benefit from agricultural support in the following years. Control and supervision was provided by technical personnel of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality for those who benefited from the support. The controls and inspections aimed to prevent the use of the supports provided outside of agricultural production, and technical support was provided especially in the fight against diseases and pests seen in plants.
Measuring and Reporting Impact
Monitoring Results
Demand collections were held digitally online at tarimdestekleri.ibb.istanbul. The support provided has been recorded with delivery minutes. In addition, stock and price information is closely monitored by including the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Producer-Cooperative market, which provides marketing support for producers, within the scope of digital transformation. The effects of the studies are obtained by interpreting the data on the relevant platforms. In addition, support rates and increase in production are also among the important parameters.
Demonstrating Progress
The increase in the number of demands increases every year and is met with great satisfaction by the manufacturers. In the study based on the basic measurement principle of citizen satisfaction, progress is followed by citizens through calls, SMS and other communication methods reaching the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Solution Centre. In addition, during field activities feedback is received directly from manufacturers. In the meetings held with shareholders and producers, information is exchanged on what can be done to expand the scope of the work and take it further.
Measuring Impact
Quantitative data on measurements are reported statistically in supporting documentation. When evaluating it qualitatively, there is an increase in the number of farmers in Istanbul, an increase in the area cultivated, an increase in the number of students studying agricultural cultivation, and the implementation of milestone activities in determining food traceability.
Learning and Transferability
Adaption and Enhancement
Varieties that are not suitable for ecological conditions and soil structure have been replaced. As a basic principle, the dissemination of varieties suitable for Istanbul has been prioritised.
In the studies carried out, primarily producers from Istanbul supported the studies as our biggest stakeholder. They provided support in terms of maintenance, plant nutrition and labour during the demonstration works on their privately owned lands, without making any financial demands. In addition, they gave advice to the farmers, who are members of the chambers of agriculture in Istanbul, about taking an active role in the studies.
Potential for Replication
In the variety selection of the species given within the scope of the support, the ecological conditions of the region were also evaluated, and disease-resistant variants were preferred. Changes have been made in the varieties against plant diseases and pests, which have led to a periodic increasing trend.
Production of strawberrys throughout Istanbul is on the verge of extinction; It has been determined that they were produced in limited areas and on a limited scale. Demonstration studies were carried out on the fields of volunteer farmers in order to adapt productive and high-quality strawberry varieties to the region and to determine the appropriate variety. With the results obtained, frigo seedlings, mulch nylon, drip irrigation hoses and fertiliser support for strawberry varieties determined for different regions of Istanbul were provided free of charge to farmers who requested them.
Technical information was given to producers through vegetable growing techniques training organised along with all the studies carried out. In addition, training was given on the correct methods of combating diseases and pests and on issues that need attention. Since 2020, 1,568 people have attended the training in Istanbul and received a certificate of participation. Cooperatives in Agriculture, Vegetable Growing Techniques, Post-Planting Care of Vegetables and Strawberry Cultivation Training were given in 13 different locations in Istanbul.
Inspiring Other Cities
Along with the support activities initiated under the leadership of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, different provincial and district municipalities across Turkey have also carried out similar support activities within their capacities. The support activities were featured on the websites of the relevant municipalities and as news in the local press.
Resilience
Reducing Negative Impacts and Ensuring Sustainability
Considering that Istanbul’s food needs are largely met from different cities located kilometres away, it is obvious to what extent it contributes to carbon emissions. Along with the activities carried out under the title of Producing Istanbul, supplying food products from agricultural areas in Istanbul contributes to shortening the food supply chain and reducing the carbon footprint.
Environmental Considerations
According to Istanbul’s suitable ecological conditions to choose suitable varieties savings were made on products purchased for plant nutrition and plant protection purposes.
In addition, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality provides free irrigation support to citizens engaged in agricultural and livestock farming activities from 22 ponds under its responsibility. These ponds use rainwater harvesting as a water source. Of the 22 irrigation ponds, 15 ponds are used for agricultural irrigation and four ponds are used for animal drinking water. The work on switching nine ponds to a closed-circuit pressurised irrigation system, in order to use them more effectively and efficiently in agricultural irrigation, has been completed. With the transition to a closed-circuit pressurised irrigation system, producers can use drip irrigation systems more effectively in their agricultural lands.
Use of Natural Resources
Free fertiliser support is provided with compost obtained from food waste.
Free irrigation support is provided through ponds that use rainwater harvesting as a water source for agricultural irrigation and animal drinking water.
