As of 2024, the food crisis in Türkiye has profoundly impacted the nation's social fabric, exacerbated by high inflation, rising poverty, and widening social inequalities. The rapid increase in food prices has significantly restricted access to basic foodstuffs, especially for low-income households, placing a large portion of the population at risk of food insecurity. Food price inflation has become one of the primary drivers of the country's broader inflationary pressures, underscoring the need to strengthen social welfare mechanisms. The rising costs of agricultural inputs have made it difficult for producers to operate sustainably, highlighting the critical need to expand food assistance programs and social support systems for the most vulnerable segments of society (World Bank, 2024).
Recently, Türkiye has faced international challenges related to its agricultural exports, as several shipments to the European Union have been returned. Key food products such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, and peppers were rejected due to excessive pesticide residues, leading to significant losses in agricultural export revenues. These rejected products were then redirected to the domestic market at lower prices, further straining local producers. The return of these exports has revealed deficiencies in Türkiye's ability to meet international food safety and quality standards, demonstrating an urgent need for a comprehensive overhaul of the country's food security policies to align with global standards (European Commission, 2024).
The long-term impacts of the food crisis are likely to exacerbate inequalities in income distribution in addition to inflationary pressures. In rural areas, the population has been particularly hard-hit by rising prices and disruptions in the food supply chain, further deepening poverty levels. From the perspective of social welfare, ensuring sustainability in agricultural production and expanding food assistance programs is essential to mitigate the effects of the crisis. Increased social aid and broader incentives for local producers will help alleviate the food crisis while preventing further deepening of social inequalities (OECD, 2024).
World Bank. (2024). Turkey's Economic Outlook: Inflation and Food Security Challenges. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/turkey/publication
European Commission. (2024). Report on Food Safety and Agricultural Trade between EU and Turkey. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/agriculture
OECD. (2024). Agricultural Policy Review: Turkey. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/agriculture/turkey
