Turkish Healthy Cities Association and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. The Izmir Food System Workshop, which will finalize the Izmir Food System Certificate prepared within the scope of the food safety moves implemented by Cemil Tugay since the day he took office, has started. The opening of the workshop held at the Historical Gas Factory Cultural Center was attended by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Secretary General Zeki Yıldırım, Deputy Secretary General Hakan Uzun and municipal bureaucrats, public institution representatives, academicians, non-governmental organization representatives, cooperatives and sector representatives attended. President Dr. Organized in the light of the outputs of five separate meetings of the Gastronomy and Food Council, which brings together stakeholders under the leadership of Cemil Tugay, the Izmir Food System Workshop will discuss the analyzes carried out within the framework of the City Region Food Systems (CRFS) approach and the policies, actions and recommendations based on them.
“THERE ARE AREAS THAT CAN BE CALLED FOOD DESERTS WHERE SERIOUS INJUSTICES EXPERIENCE”
Making the opening speech of the workshop, President Dr. Cemil Tugay stated that the work on the Urban Food Strategy Document, which they implemented during his term as Karşıyaka Mayor, has been carried out meticulously for two and a half years in order to implement it on a larger scale throughout Izmir. Pointing out that Izmir is one of the cities with the largest share in Turkey's agricultural production, Mayor Tugay said, "Izmir is a city that inspires Türkiye with its cooperatives, innovative practices and environmental awareness. Therefore, we need to fulfill the requirements of this identity. The Izmir Food System Document is not a just-prepared document, but a truly comprehensive and high-participation study. The issue of food is a subject that has dimensions other than agricultural production and nutrition. It has an ecological dimension, an economic dimension and an important dimension related to social justice. "There is a lack of planning on this issue. There are areas where there are serious injustices that can be called food deserts. Therefore, it is necessary to look at Izmir and evaluate them correctly, region by region, and then determine a strategy on what we can do."
“HOW THE FOOD REACHES TO WHICH MARKETS IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE PRODUCTION”
Providing information about Izmir's spatial planning data, Mayor Tugay pointed out that despite the high production in the city, fresh vegetables and fruits were supplied from other cities and said, "479 thousand tons of potatoes were produced in Izmir in 2024, 58 thousand tons of which were sent to other provinces. On the other hand, 41 thousand tons of potatoes came to Izmir from other provinces. This shows lack of planning and coordination. In other words, how the food reaches which markets and through which channels is as important as producing. Producer and consumer." "We have to strengthen the chain between the companies, reduce the losses in between and ensure that local production finds more response within the city," he said.
“ACCESS TO FOOD BECOMES DIFFICULT IN AREAS WHERE PEOPLE ARE POVERTY”
Drawing attention to access to food as well as production, Mayor Tugay said, "In areas where people are impoverished, access to food becomes difficult and at the same time, the cost of food increases; people pay more for food. It is necessary to establish a system where the producer can receive compensation for his labor and where every citizen can access healthy, sufficient and affordable food."
“CHILDREN'S NUTRITION IS ON TURKEY'S AGENDA”
Stating that the biggest responsibility is the healthy nutrition of children, Mayor Tugay said, "The nutrition of our children is on Türkiye's agenda. Everyone is aware that there is a problem here. Food crisis and poverty-related malnutrition affect the development of children the most. I am sure it is not difficult to think about what cost this will bring to Türkiye. Nutrition is an issue that directly concerns the attention of students, their learning process, and their educational life. Especially children in the developmental age group, that is, in the 0-14 age group, are the most sensitive addressees of this problem. There are 19.5 million children in this age group in Türkiye." "There are 19.5 million children. If children cannot access sufficient and qualified food, no one can talk about equal opportunities in education. Therefore, we see nutrition as an integral part of the right to education and public health. Moreover, malnutrition can cause children to become more vulnerable to toxic chemicals. In case of malnutrition, some harmful substances cause more harm to the body. In summary, the food issue is an issue directly related to both health and education."
“WE STARTED THE CHILDREN AND FOOD SAFETY MISSION PROJECT”
Providing information about the work carried out as Izmir Metropolitan Municipality to support children's nutrition, Mayor Tugay said, "We are not only obliged to provide more food and deliver food to people, but also to take into account the quality, safety and effects of food on children's health. For this reason, we started the Children and Food Safety Mission Project in our municipality. We also established a special mission group for children's nutrition and food safety. This project group also works for nurseries, dormitories, dining halls and other areas where mass feeding is carried out in our municipality. Here, our friends are used in the kitchens used." "We are working to prevent children from being exposed to harmful chemicals through food. We will be distributing guidebooks and booklets to the public through our Department of Health. This year, we will provide intensive training on overly processed foods that threaten children's health," he said.
“WE WILL WORK FOR IZMIR, WHICH PROTECTS EVERY CITIZEN'S RIGHT TO HEALTHY FOOD”
Underlining that food safety is not only a matter of agriculture and the production sector, Mayor Tugay said that projects such as organized sales stores İZMAR, Süt Kuzusu, City Restaurants, Bokashi Compost, Producer Markets, and City Gardens implemented by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality are small parts of the City-Regional Food System understanding.
Stating that they have created a road map that will bring together rural production, urban life, public health, social justice, cultural heritage and ecological balance within the same framework, Mayor Tugay said, "We will work for Izmir, which protects the labor of our producers, the existence of our nature and the right of every citizen to healthy food."
A HOLISTIC STUDY FOR IZMIR FROM PRODUCTION TO CONSUMPTION, FROM DISTRIBUTION TO WASTE
Providing information about the workshop, Nehir Yüksel, Head of Rural Services Department of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, said: "In the Izmir City-Regional Food System Document studies, which we carried out in line with the goals set by our President and are nearing the end, we first carried out a holistic study for Izmir from production to consumption, from distribution to waste. We constructed the cultural, ecological and social dimension of Izmir together. In this process, we worked with approximately 100 thousand data. We created maps based on Geographic Information Systems. In addition, we carried out various analyzes and field verifications. In order to benefit from international experiences and increase cooperation, we became members of the Milan Food Pact in February 2026. We held the Food and Gastronomy Council meeting in April 2026. After the Council meeting, we evaluated Izmir's current food system, infrastructure and potential, in line with the common framework emerging from these meetings. Today, Izmir Food System addresses the process from agricultural production to waste management and rural-urban connections from a holistic perspective. "We are together at the workshop. Our aim is to focus these studies within the framework of common goals, strong coordination and a traceable action plan," he said.
