GROWTH AREA: A farmer tends to his pistachio trees in Gaziantep, Turkey.
In collaboration with the TEMA Foundation (the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats), Nestlé has started a TRY 1.5 million (CHF 1.1 million) rural development project in south-eastern Turkey. The project is owned by DAMAK, Nestlé Turkey’s strong local brand of pistachio milk chocolate, which has a heritage dating back more than 75 years. Through the project, 80% of the farmers in the county are being trained in the sustainable production of high-quality pistachios.
Turkey is the third largest producer of pistachios in the world with 102 000 tonnes a year, contributing 20% of total world production, and there are 10 000 fruit-bearing pistachio trees in the area. However, there is the potential to increase production levels significantly, so to fulfil this potential, pistachio cultivators across the region are being trained in the most efficient agricultural techniques.
Nestlé believes that through such capacity building, productivity per tree, which is currently around 3 kg, could increase three-fold in the next five years. The economic and social welfare of 100 000 people living in the immediate area will also be enhanced, and similar projects with other crops are more likely to follow.
Our greatest desire is to make Turkey a global brand for pistachios. If we cultivate them with the right modern methods, the economic value of the commodity will increase and the income level of the people in the region will increase in parallel. As a result, the migration from villages to the cities – and its social and economic consequences – will also be avoided.
Professor Orhan Dogan, General Manager, TEMA Foundation
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