Ankara’s first organic bazaar offers diversity
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by İzgi Güngör
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 03, 2008 00:00
ANKARA - Among the organic products sold in Ankara’s first orgenic bazaar, which opens every Sunday, are textiles including clothing for babies, wine, olive oil, sun protection cream, bread, toothpaste, dish detergent and deodorant.
Ankara’s first organic bazaar, which opens every Sunday in Ayrancı district, provides the opportunity to find many fully organic products that have escaped from the market image of being unaffordable, luxury items.
Organized by the Ankara’s Çankaya Municipality, the bazaar has been serving since June 29 and displays products including fresh fruit and vegetables, dry fruit, textiles including clothing for babies, wine, olive oil, soap, bread, spices, electronic radiation filter, sun protection cream, honey, toothpaste, egg, dish detergent and deodorant. The products are 100 percent natural, certified and do not contain any chemicals. The bazaar aims to encourage the consumption of organic products in the capital and establish a direct link between the consumer and the producer.
"Ankara needed and waited for such an initiative as there is demand and increasing interest for organic products," Gökçen Yücesoy, agriculture engineer and coordinator of the event, told Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
"Organic products, known to be too expensive and luxury items, are marketed here with more moderate prices and non-frightening marketing method to a larger audience," she said, adding that the prices were even further reduced toward the evening, becoming more affordable for visitors.
Producers from all over Turkey including Bursa, Gaziantep, Kuşadası, İzmir, Bolu, Zonguldak, Nevşehir, Niğde, Bozcaada, Trabzon, Beypazarı, Gökçeada and Çanakkale find a chance to promote their products directly the consumer. Nearly 300 brand-organic products are displayed over 100 stands in the bazaar where 70 percent of the products are fresh and 70 percent of the participants are the producers themselves.
Bazaar escapes expensive image
The organizers also plan to enliven the event through some thematic informative and educational activities to raise awareness on the benefits of organic products, environment and healthy nutrition.
Among the providers were also many biologists, agriculture engineers, teachers and university students. A biologist who sells organic items said mostly families with children come to the bazaar. "Organic agriculture should be encouraged. If there is more demand, the prices will further reduce. We especially want to attract people with low income," Yücesoy said.
A producer from Gökçeada selling dairy products said there was an increasing interest in the bazaar and they encouraged returning products that were spoiled. "Prices could be relatively high but we are selling a healthy product," he said.
Production costs are higher in organic farming because of its labor-oriented methods. The markets and huge malls, which purchase and sell mass products at a lower cost, similarly harms the marketing of organic products, according to agriculture experts.
"I have been selling organic products for eight years but there is a significant awareness created in the last two years thanks to climate change, an increase in cancer cases and attention from the media," said agriculture engineer Mehtap Atasoy Yakar.
"Organic products, however, can’t find a place for themselves in the market because of the mass markets. Its producers are already small family-run enterprises and most of the products are spoiled in the cargo even before they reach the market," she said, adding that the bazaar served its original purpose as a mediator between the producers and consumers.
Prices have declined since the day the bazaar opened because of the increasingly diverse number of products and growing interested from visitors, according to organizers.
The price of one kilogram of tomatoes is YTL 2 while the banana is YTL 4. One liter of organic olive oil ranges from YTL 10 to 20 and bread is available for YTL 1.5 to 3.5.
The bazaar also offers ’organic tastes’ for those who wish to take a rest during shopping. It is possible to enjoy gözleme, a kind of pancake, made up of organic flour and oil olive accompanied by organic tea.
Organized by the Ankara’s Çankaya Municipality, the bazaar has been serving since June 29 and displays products including fresh fruit and vegetables, dry fruit, textiles including clothing for babies, wine, olive oil, soap, bread, spices, electronic radiation filter, sun protection cream, honey, toothpaste, egg, dish detergent and deodorant. The products are 100 percent natural, certified and do not contain any chemicals. The bazaar aims to encourage the consumption of organic products in the capital and establish a direct link between the consumer and the producer.
"Ankara needed and waited for such an initiative as there is demand and increasing interest for organic products," Gökçen Yücesoy, agriculture engineer and coordinator of the event, told Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
"Organic products, known to be too expensive and luxury items, are marketed here with more moderate prices and non-frightening marketing method to a larger audience," she said, adding that the prices were even further reduced toward the evening, becoming more affordable for visitors.
Producers from all over Turkey including Bursa, Gaziantep, Kuşadası, İzmir, Bolu, Zonguldak, Nevşehir, Niğde, Bozcaada, Trabzon, Beypazarı, Gökçeada and Çanakkale find a chance to promote their products directly the consumer. Nearly 300 brand-organic products are displayed over 100 stands in the bazaar where 70 percent of the products are fresh and 70 percent of the participants are the producers themselves.
Bazaar escapes expensive image
The organizers also plan to enliven the event through some thematic informative and educational activities to raise awareness on the benefits of organic products, environment and healthy nutrition.
Among the providers were also many biologists, agriculture engineers, teachers and university students. A biologist who sells organic items said mostly families with children come to the bazaar. "Organic agriculture should be encouraged. If there is more demand, the prices will further reduce. We especially want to attract people with low income," Yücesoy said.
A producer from Gökçeada selling dairy products said there was an increasing interest in the bazaar and they encouraged returning products that were spoiled. "Prices could be relatively high but we are selling a healthy product," he said.
Production costs are higher in organic farming because of its labor-oriented methods. The markets and huge malls, which purchase and sell mass products at a lower cost, similarly harms the marketing of organic products, according to agriculture experts.
"I have been selling organic products for eight years but there is a significant awareness created in the last two years thanks to climate change, an increase in cancer cases and attention from the media," said agriculture engineer Mehtap Atasoy Yakar.
"Organic products, however, can’t find a place for themselves in the market because of the mass markets. Its producers are already small family-run enterprises and most of the products are spoiled in the cargo even before they reach the market," she said, adding that the bazaar served its original purpose as a mediator between the producers and consumers.
Prices have declined since the day the bazaar opened because of the increasingly diverse number of products and growing interested from visitors, according to organizers.
The price of one kilogram of tomatoes is YTL 2 while the banana is YTL 4. One liter of organic olive oil ranges from YTL 10 to 20 and bread is available for YTL 1.5 to 3.5.
The bazaar also offers ’organic tastes’ for those who wish to take a rest during shopping. It is possible to enjoy gözleme, a kind of pancake, made up of organic flour and oil olive accompanied by organic tea.