Map of Seasonal Agricultural Workers in the Pandemic from the Development Workshop

"Ertan Karabıyık from the Development Workshop, evaluated the effects of the pandemics on food security for Sivil Mikrofon as well as the measures to be taken for seasonal agricultural workers due to the Coronavirus outbreak.”

The Development Workshop started a mapping study that will reveal the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak on seasonal agricultural workers and their children, as well as developments made in this context at the provincial and the country level.

Ertan Karabıyık, the guest of Sivil Mikrofon, noted that the effects of Covid-19 on seasonal migratory agricultural workers and their children in Turkey and the world and the actions taken in this context, are presented at the level of provinces and countries and they will update it every week.

Karabıyık said that staying at home is important to control the pandemic, “but there are conditions for staying at home. We believe that there is practically no point in saying ‘stay home’ when we do not meet these conditions. So I would like to emphasize that those who have the opportunity to stay at home, should think more about those who do not stay at home and work harder for them,” he said.

Importance of Participatory Plans and Practices…

Karabıyık emphasized that the pandemic affects all social classes of society, the risks of those who have to work are higher and the solution can be achieved with a participatory understanding. “We see that participatory understanding is not done at a sufficient level, planning and practices from the central level to the local level are not realized with a participatory approach. We believe that Turkey’s agricultural production is a little late in the planning process for this crisis. The coordination and co-guidance cannot be adequately done, decisions taken from the center are not adequately reflected in operational work in the provincial implementation processes. As a development workshop, we care about the participation of private sector, non-governmental organizations, international organizations and professional organizations in this process. It is important for Turkey’s agricultural production that seasonal agricultural workers are not affected by this process both in terms of health and labor. “We also want everyone to show willpower in defining and solving this problem so that the farmers in rural areas do not become impoverished.”

The Necessity of Small Businesses For Food Security

Ertan Karabıyık, who stated that the epidemic brought up the importance of agriculture and food security again, said: “It is an advantage that Turkey’s agricultural production lasts 12 months with greenhouse cultivation in certain regions. We can be in a position to contribute to the countries around us both with our own food security and excess product with this advantage is good planning with a good support system (not only fertilizer, diesel, soil, sapling, drug support, but also labor market support). If the organization of the labor force is not done adequately, we can predict that we may be in trouble, especially in some foods. This crisis showed us again that there will be an effort from now on to produce their own vegetables and fruits, that small producers will participate in this process and the importance of family businesses, he said.

Post-Pandemic Civil Society

Noting that the epidemic will function as a litmus paper for the civil society, Karabıyık said “The pandemic will create a change in the flow of funds in our working order. We’ll be faced with a table where those who can’t adapt to this process, are eliminated. I think civil society will be more effective after the pandemic. I think it will work more creatively, more programmatic and inclusive. This table will start to show us the importance of cooperation, acting together, sharing and combining knowledge and experience. Those who do not comply, will be out of the circle,” he said.

Click here to watch the documentary on SEASONAL LEAVES prepared by the Development Workshop in cooperation with Atom Film.