CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND CIRCULAR AGRICULTURE...

At an international meeting where I attended three years ago in Brussels, the speech of Ellen MacArthur, a British social entrepreneur on the topic of 'Circular economy', which had great repercussions in the world, left a deep impression on me. Last year during the World Congress of International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) held in the Netherlands concept and applications of 'Circular agriculture' paved the way for a wide discussion. The presentations at the worldwide known Wageningen University have already signalled what would be the main subject of the coming years.

NEW ECONOMIC REVOLUTION
'Circular economy' in its short definition is a new production model that is based on the fact that there is no waste or rather designed from scratch to create such a result. In other words, the approach of 'Buy-Use-Throw'  prevails. However, 'Circular economy' offers a new model of mentality to humanity.

Here, thanks to the 'Production-Consumption-Waste Management and Waste-to-Source Conversion' chain, we can find the opportunity to re-design resource utilization and evaluate resources in an optimal manner. As a result, the world has begun to hear the footsteps of a new economic revolution, just after saying this we move to our main issue.

NEW ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL SOLUTION
Let's underline right now, 'Circular agriculture' does not mean returning to the past! On the contrary, I am talking about a new and innovative agricultural model. We need to consider this model as a combined economic and agricultural solution, primarily for farmers, business people, scientists and researchers, in short, for everyone involved in the agricultural sector, taking into account new technologies and environmental impacts. Furthermore 'Circular agriculture' should not only be seen as recycling, getting good yields and/or using resources correctly, but also considering the nature, environment and climate developments is of great importance in this model.

SMALL STEP BIG RESULTS
Last week in the Antalya Growtech International Agri-Exhibition which is regarded the largest under cover farming organization across the world, we wanted to bring the subject to the attention of the public at this level for the first time by making a panel under the title of 'Circular agriculture' with Akdeniz University Faculty of Agriculture Lecturers Prof. Dr. Orhan Özçatalbaş, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kaplan and Baumann Company General Manager Fatih Akdağ.


Meanwhile I am glad to emphasize that speeches along with presentations in the panel attracted great interest. I want to finish today's article as follows; We will start to talk about 'Circular agriculture' much more in the near future. We just took a small but concrete step...

By İsmail Uğural, Column Writer - TV Presenter