Aegean Exporters' Association Becomes a Role Model for Turkey

EİB Sets Model for Turkey The Aegean Exporters Unions organization, in cooperation with Denizli Acıpayam and Beyağaç Municipalities and in line with sustainability objectives in agricultural production, has completed the first phase of a recycling project for empty agricultural pesticide packaging waste toward a clean environment and healthy generations. Under the project scope, 10 agricultural waste collection centers were established in Acıpayam and 6 in Beyağaç. The official opening of the storage centers took place in Acıpayam's Ucarı Neighborhood and in Beyağaç with the participation of the Acıpayam and Beyağaç Municipal Mayors and EİB Board Members.

EİB's priority is a clean environment and sustainable agricultural production

Aegean Exporters Unions Coordinator Chairman Jak Eskinazi stated, "Under the project scope, we completed the establishment of 10 agricultural waste collection centers in Acıpayam with the valuable support of our Municipality. As the Aegean Exporters Unions, we are aware of how important agriculture is for our country, and how important a clean environment and sustainable agricultural production are for our country's agriculture. To increase this awareness and extend it across the country, we launched our project in regions where our agricultural products that hold an important place in our exports are produced." Explaining that they selected leaf tobacco, one of the important agricultural products in the region and the first pilot application for this project, Eskinazi continued: "Our position as the world leader in oriental tobacco production places tobacco farming in a very important position in our country. To ensure the sustainability of our tobacco production, which is directly linked to our exports, it is imperative that we follow sustainable agricultural policies. For this, we need to follow both new techniques in agricultural production and build a more livable world against the climate crisis and transform the system correctly."

Tobacco exporters invest in sustainability

Aegean Tobacco Exporters Union Board Chairman Ömer Celal Umur said, "First, to ensure sustainable production and export in leaf tobacco trade, we established our sustainability working group with the participation of representatives from leaf tobacco exporting companies that are members of the Aegean Tobacco Exporters Union. In line with the work of our study group, where solutions and project proposals are discussed on various issues related to tobacco farming, we create various corporate social responsibility projects in areas such as production, environment, infrastructure, labor, and sustainability in tobacco farming." Umur stated, "Like the empty agricultural pesticide packaging waste recycling project we are continuing, we are also implementing projects including improvement of personal protective equipment used in pesticide spraying in tobacco farming, utilizing technological advances for spraying with drones, distribution of collection bags to producers for gathering agricultural pesticide packages, distribution of information brochures to producers on packaging waste recycling, and training of educators who will provide producers with information about the pesticide application and empty packaging recycling process." Explaining that their goal for this project, which they launched with tobacco farming, is to expand it to all agricultural product production areas and across Turkey, Umur continued: "The project initially started in Kale district through initiatives by private companies. We will continue to provide support to expand this project, which we have expanded in Acıpayam with 10 collection points and in Beyağaç with 6 collection points, to the Aegean region and across the country. We extend our thanks to Acıpayam and Beyağaç Municipalities for their valuable contributions to realizing our project and to the agricultural chambers that contributed to the project." The opening ceremony was attended by Acıpayam District Governor Mustafa Gürbüz, Acıpayam Municipal Mayor Dr. Hulusi Şevkan, Denizli Provincial Director of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Mehmet Fatih Namık ÖZTÜRK, Beyağaç Municipal Mayor Mustafa Akçay, Aegean Tobacco Exporters Union Board Chairman Ömer Celal Umur, Aegean Tobacco Exporters Union Board Vice Chairman Mahru Gürel Ağdanlı, Aegean Tobacco Exporters Union Board Members Yiğit Tuncel and İsmet Çakın, as well as the Aegean Tobacco Exporters Union Sustainability Working Group.