Anadolu Etap Published Its Third Sustainability Report
Anadolu Etap, which is leading the development of Turkey's agriculture and agriculture-based industries, has released its third sustainability report using GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) standards. In 2020, Anadolu Etap, which meets the healthy food needs of more than 65 countries with a 70% export rate, included studies on environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
Turkey's largest fruit growing and fruit juice processing company, Anadolu Etap, has released its third sustainability report. Anadolu Etap, which pioneered the "Sustainable Agriculture Principles" and incorporated them into its business plans by breaking new ground in Turkey's agricultural sector, published its third report in GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) standards, which included the studies it conducted in 2020. In line with its rapidly growing business scale, Anadolu Etap manages its organization as two separate general directorates, "Fresh Products and Plantation" and "Fruit Juice," and strives to meet the needs of future generations without depleting natural resources and to protect life in a way that allows regional development in all of its activities. With its farm-to-table sustainable working system, Anadolu Etap, which operates in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) and signed the United Nations Global Compact last year, continues to contribute to the local economy, agricultural development, and employment.
"With our sustainability principles, we continue to produce at international standards."
‘’We regard sustainability as a value that is at the heart and foundation of our company’s history and mission’’ said Anadolu Etap General Manager of Plantation and Fresh Produce Handan Eren, adding, "We are living in a period where all countries around the world are making intense efforts to create solutions that will meet the food demand of today and tomorrow. Despite such a difficult environment, we had a successful 2020, both as a country and as a company. We were able to continue our operations without interruption with our agricultural activities, harvesting, production, and export operations. We have maintained our production at international quality standards by adhering to our sustainability principles, which form the basis of our business model. Considering the delicate balance that exists between humans and nature, we have been working toward the goal of producing healthy, high-quality products while also fostering a sustainable ecosystem through the use of innovative and traceable agricultural practices, since our establishment. We will continue to invest in the national economy, our human resources, our technology, our lands, and our farmers with this outlook in mind.’’
"We are a stable, growing and an integrated agriculture and food company."
"With our export rate exceeding 70%, we meet the healthy food needs of more than 65 countries," Anadolu Etap Fruit Juice General Manager Mutlu Ocak said in his assessment of the report. We are an integrated agriculture and food company that is steadily growing through our plants and the products developed at our research and development centers. To act with awareness of natural resource scarcity, we have set ourselves the main goals of expanding our sustainable business model and international standards, as well as investing in sustainable, smart agriculture and modern production technologies, R&D. Our investments in quality, ensuring the continuity of our workforce and supply chain, and digitizing all of our processes all contribute significantly to our position as one of Turkey’s largest fresh fruit and fruit juice processors."
Contributed to SDG principles with 27 projects implemented between 2015-2020
With its 8 farms, 3 fruit juice processing plants, and 1 packing house built on 3000 HA of land, Anadolu Etap, one of Turkey's largest employers in the agricultural sector, contributes to employment and the local economy in its regions. With 27 projects implemented between 2015 and 2020, Anadolu Etap has adopted the UN SDG principles of "Zero Hunger," "Responsible Production and Consumption," "Decent Work and Economic Growth," "Reducing Inequalities," and "Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure." Social projects focusing on women and children are the foundation of Anadolu Etap's sustainability strategy, which supports the development of Turkish agriculture by bringing international quality standards to the regions where it operates.
Supported the education of 361 MİÇO in 2020
Anadolu Etap, which is the first agricultural institution in Turkey to offer free and continuous education support to the children of seasonal agricultural workers on its own farms with the MİÇO (Children of Seasonal Agricultural Workers) project, has contributed to the uninterrupted education of 1,237 children with the MİÇO program, which started in 2015. Supported the education of 361 MİÇO in 2020 Anadolu Etap provides "sustainable agriculture" trainings to farmers in its ecosystem through AgroAcademy trainings, thereby promoting the economic participation of women farmers, who have a high employment rate in the agricultural sector. A total of 875 farmers, 75% of whom are women, have attended the AgroAcademy training since 2014. Hosting an average of 2000 seasonal agricultural workers on its farms every year, Anadolu Etap also pays attention to ensure that 70% of the workers working on its farms are women.
Protects biodiversity in the regions where it operates
Anadolu Etap, which puts emphasis on to protect the natural life in the areas where its farms are located to reduce the adverse effects of climate change and to protect the ecosystem, also executes significant projects with the purpose to improve conditions that will negatively affect biodiversity in all areas of its activity. Thousands of Leyland Cypress and Paulownia trees have been planted around the fruit trees across 6 different regions of Turkey where Anadolu Etap farms are located. Moreover, the heritage of nature is protected by preserving the plane trees and Trojan oaks found in Balıkesir and Çanakkale farms. Anadolu Etap also contributes to ensuring biodiversity and ecological balance by protecting the Anatolian ground squirrel, which is an indicator of the biological diversity of Turkey and is classified in the Red List indicating the category close to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Anadolu Etap, with hundreds of bird nests and thousands of beehives placed on its farms, continues the natural ecosystem and reduces the use of chemicals in struggling against harmful organisms via nature-friendly methods.
With smart agriculture technologies, it is possible to use less water, agricultural inputs, and energy.
With the smart agricultural technologies it employs, Anadolu Etap transforms these regions' negative climate conditions into more favorable conditions for trees and fruits (frost control systems, wind blades, water-saving sprinkler systems and similar technologies). While these technologies benefit land preparation, weather monitoring, and disease and pest outbreak notification, they also allow for the use of less water, agricultural inputs, and energy. Smart and sustainable agricultural practices, which are also prominent in terms of minimizing environmental pollution, contribute to the positive development of both the farmer and the country's economy, as well as to the production and consumption of healthy foods.