Turkey: Thematic Group restructured to meet MDGs

The National Thematic Group on Rural Development and Food Security of Turkey held a meeting with its members in early March 2005 to restructure and plan future activities in order to achieve the first Millennium Development Goal of halving hunger before 2015.

The meeting was held in the context of the National Rural Development Strategy soon to be finalized and the needs of the country in view of the accession to the European Union. Participants to the meeting included 20 representatives from various sectors: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of State Planning Organization, academic institutions, NGOs, donor organizations and UN agencies.

The main topics discussed during the meeting included the need to establish links between rural development and food security, the establishment of a communication network to ensure coordination and information exchange among organizations and agencies working in the field of food security, need for a common definition of and a clear policy of rural development at country level, among other topics. The need for capacity building in project design and implementation and for agricultural extension and farmer trainings were also highlighted by government representatives, civil society and academic institutions alike.

Concrete activities agreed upon during the meeting included the organization of a rural development workshop to review projects carried-out and propose a programme of activities for the Thematic Group. The support to small-scale rural development projects and the development of farmers’ organizations and local rural NGOs was also viewed as a priority area for action on behalf of the Thematic Group as well as capacity building on micro financing for extension workers and farmers. In the past, the Thematic Group has already successfully carried-out a workshop on Biodiversity for Food Security in 2004 and several sub-group meetings on food nutrition, land and water and organic agriculture.

For more information on the activities of the Thematic Group in Turkey, please contact the FAO representation in Turkey at FAO-TR@fao.org.