Seedling grafting is an essential technique that is often expressed as the fusion of two different small plants to make an organism with superior properties. Grafted seedlings have strategic and economic importance because they affect the yield of other agricultural products and final product quality. However, grafted seedling production consumes more resources than normal seedlings; therefore, its environmental effects carry great importance for sustainable agricultural production whilst in life-cycle assessment (LCA) literature, little research exists about this subject. This cradle-to-farm-gate LCA study focuses on grafted tomato seedling production in Antalya, Turkey and original data compiled by face-to-face surveys with seedling producers are used. It aims to analyze and discuss the environmental impacts of energy, fertilizers, pesticides, disinfectants, peat, perlite, vermiculite, inserts, trays, grafting sticks, clips, plastic sheeting, packaging used in production. Findings reveal that coal for greenhouse heating in the energy category and expanded polystyrene (EPS) trays in supporting materials category have higher impacts. Therefore, rigid plastic alternatives of EPS with higher recycling potential are discussed. After creating a scenario to compare EPS and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as raw materials, the results indicate that HDPE has lower damage potential than EPS in the human health, ecosystems, and resources categories.

In the past decade, organic production has become a growing segment of the healthy food market. Organic farming is expanding gradually in many countries, and consumption of organic products is gaining a huge importance in the developed countries, such as the U.S., countries in the European Union (EU), Canada, and Japan. The increase of domestic market demand in developed countries and export potential for developing countries has stimulated organic agricultural production. In this report, we briefly examine the development of the world organic market and examine regulations with regard to production and certification. We also provide a detailed review of the current structure of organic food production and marketing in Turkey, a developing country with advantages to increase organic production. The overall picture of organic products in Turkey seems very positive. The size of the domestic market for organic products is estimated to be $3 to $5 million, with annual growth projected to be about 50% for the next 5 years. Eighty percent of current production in Turkey is export-oriented. The EU has been the main export destination. The positive market outlook will no doubt create a renewed interest in organic products among Turkish farmers and policy makers.

Agricultural production and income are important for Mediterranean region of Turkey. The region and especially Antalya province is well-known with greenhouse production. For greenhouse production achieving sustainability is important for meeting domestic and foreign demand and security of production lands. In order to measure the potential for improving greenhouse operators 281 farmers were surveyed in 2015 in Antalya and profit inefficiency and factors affecting inefficiencies of operators were estimated using stochastic frontier approach. Accordingly, the average inefficiency level of operators was found as 57 %, signifying the potential for improvement. The main objective was to undermine the impact of landownership on this inefficiency level. Yet, the impact of other relevant factors referring to greenhouse structures and famers’ characteristics were estimated as well. While level of education seemed to reduce inefficiency, household size had appeared as an inefficiency rising factor referring to professional labour endowment of greenhouse production in Antalya. Being renter of land appeared as an inefficiency rising factor as well as holding plastic house or having located in the western parts of Antalya. These findings indicated importance of supporting improved production technologies and use of strengthened structures. In addition, it appeared as essential to provide incentives to renters to cope with their costs.

Due to rapidly growing technology in the 20th century, the production sector achieved great progress as well as causing a serious environmental problem which we call “waste”. As a major production sector, agriculture plays an important role in Turkey and creates a significant amount of waste in pre-production, production and post-production stages of agricultural outputs. Tomato production, which accounts for 48% of total greenhouse vegetable production in Turkey, is the main focus of this study since it generates a considerable amount of waste. The study uses 1 kg tomato produced in greenhouse conditions during a production season in 2019 as functional unit. Waste types, waste amounts and disposal method variables are taken from the tomato producers in the Antalya region who were selected by stratified random sampling method. With the scenarios created in the LCA program according to certain demographic characteristics of producers, variables are entered into the LCA program and impact assessment results are compared by using recipe methodology. Finally, the relationships between demographic criteria of producers and environmental impact results are discussed.

Small ruminant production is important but neglected resource, with multiple goals in West Bank-Palestine. This study aimed to develop the best strategies by exploiting the small ruminant sector opportunities and strengths while neutralizing its threats and avoiding its weaknesses in different production systems through different agro-ecological zones. To minimize the constraints and enhance the development of the small ruminants sub-sector in Palestine, strategies were suggested by using SWOT analysis. Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of internal factors regarding its connection to resources, capabilities, core competencies and this sector’s external factors’ opportunities and threats are important not only to enhance the small ruminants’ keepers living conditions but also to ameliorate this region’s economy. The study was conducted at the Al-thaheryia and Facuoa sites. Subsequently, random sampling was done at the identified sites to select the small ruminant rearers who participated in the survey, 170 randomly selected small ruminant rearers targeted, 125 from Al-thaheryia and 45 from Facuoa, using the structured interview schedule. The study results point out that improved small ruminant production could be achieved by creating and enabling an environment that alleviates these constraints.

Türkiye, uzun yıllardır enflasyon ile mücadele eden ülkeler arasında yer almakta olup enflasyon tarım sektörünü de etkisi altına almaktadır. Enflasyonun etkisini anlamak ve dolayısıyla Sektörler arasındaki kaynak transferinin durumu ve yönünün yıllar itibariyle belirlenmesi açısından iç ticaret hadleri önem taşımaktadır. İç ticaret hadleri, tarım sektöründen tarım dışı sektörlere kaynak aktarımını göstermektedir. Böyle bu yöntemle, sektörel olarak ekonomik refah değişmelerini takip etmek ve tarım kesiminin satın alma gücündeki değişiklikleri anlamak mümkün olmaktadır. İç ticaret hadlerinin tarımın aleyhine gelişmesi tarımın diğer sektörler tarafından vergilenmesini, lehine gerçekleşmesi ise tarım dışı sektörlerden tarıma kaynak aktarımını göstermektedir. Sektörler arası fiyat değişimleri ve seyri, tarım politikaları kapsamında desteklemelerin ve teşviklerin belirlenmesini de etkilemektedir. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’de 2003-2017 döneminde domateste iç ticaret hadlerini hesaplayarak üreticilerinin satın alma gücünü hesaplamak ve yorumlamak amaçlanmıştır. İç ticaret hadleri net değişim hadleri kapsamında; domates üretim girdi fiyatları, çiftçi eline geçen fiyat ve tüketici fiyat indeksine göre 2003 yılı baz alınarak hesaplanmıştır. Çalışmada, incelenen dönem içerisinde tarım ticaret hadleri üretici lehine seyir izlemesine rağmen domates üreticisi için aleyhine bir seyir izlemiştir. Bu durum çiftçi ürettiği tarımsal üründen eline geçen fiyatlar ile daha az tarım dışı mal ve hizmet alabileceği anlamına gelmektedir.