Rising costs drive farmers off their land: Productive agricultural areas changing hands for investment and speculation

Quick summary

Turkey's fertile agricultural land is being transferred out of farmers' hands due to rising production costs and lack of support, and is being converted into investment-oriented residential or tourism projects. This trend is threatening the country's medium and long-term food security.

Why it matters

The removal of agricultural land from production can lead to increases in food prices and growing dependence on agricultural product imports. Because farmers cannot achieve profitable production in the face of rising costs, workers in this sector face the risk of job loss.

Key takeaways

• ›Soaring input costs and stagnant farmgate prices are making agriculture economically unviable for Turkish smallholders in coastal regions.
• ›Fertile land in the Aegean, Marmara, and Mediterranean regions is increasingly being sold off for residential or tourism development rather than retained for food production.
• ›Cumhuriyet argues the crisis stems from a structural policy vacuum, not from farmers' individual choices — raising long-term food security concerns.