Studies for “Bigadiç Basket” project which is supported by United Nations GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) started four years ago and now positive results are being achieved on sustainable agriculture and the protection of biodiversity.

The project is implemented under the coordination of the Association for the Protection and Survival of Living Spaces (YAŞAD) and in partnership with Balıkesir University and Beylikdüzü Municipality. It aims to support the agricultural production capacity and competitiveness of the region by expanding sustainable agricultural practices.

Bigadiç is a district of Balıkesir Province in Southern Marmara, with a population of 50,000, surrounded by Alaçam and Ulus Mountains, with thermal energy resources, usually with livestock and agriculture based livelihoods. In recent years, Hera Thermal Circuit Properties carried 52,000 people annually to the district, and the renovation and opening of Hisarköy Spas belonging to Bigadiç Municipality in 2017 brought the livelihoods based on tourism to the fore. Biodiversity in Simav river, Alaçam and Ulus Mountain expects to open up to ecotourism as virgin sites and to support local foods with alternative market areas.

The special purpose of the project is to establish a healthy relationship between tourism and local governments through the promotion of good agricultural practices in the mountain villages of Bigadiç and the creation of a marketing capacity for these products.

Consumers in the big cities have access to natural products while the producer earns more income

Especially with the support of Beylikdüzü and Edremit Municipalities sensitive to the subject, direct connection of the conscious consumer and the rural producer will be ensured. Thanks to this relationship, it is ensured that the consumers in the big cities have access to natural local products, while the producer is mediated to earn more income than the current situation. Thus, it contributes to the protection and sustainability of many varieties such as chestnuts, walnuts, oyster beans, cherries, sour cherries, plums, which have existed in the region for centuries. Care is taken to contribute to the eco-system in the region by supporting beekeeping products.

Gökmen Argun, National Coordinator for the United Nations GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) mentions that important ties have been established in the Balıkesir region during and after the project to contribute to the protection of agricultural biodiversity. Argun says, “It is of great importance for local administrations to support good agricultural practices in rural areas, traditional agriculture, and to maintain ancestral seeds and trees planted by our ancestors.”

Mountain villagers’ problems are solved and they start to own local products

Gökmen Argun explains how the project idea was born as follows: “Observing the drama in the mountain villages, we agreed on the necessity of this project and we started our studies four years ago and now we are getting positive results. We have witnessed that the fruits collected in this area in the Bigadiç mountains and pastures, where we did beekeeping after the project "Preserving the Bigadiç Vegetable Biological Diversity Through Beekeeping", which we carried out in 2012-2013, were bought at very low prices. During beekeeping, we set up tents on the mountain in the spring, and we care for bees. Therefore, we live with the villagers who harvest cherry, plum etc. and do garden maintenance. The sadness experienced by two families who gathered cherries and had to sell them below the cost 4 years ago caused this project to occur. They told us that this kept peasants away from the local food production. The desperation of the villagers has provided us with the idea of ​​the Bigadiç Basket project. We believed that if a system is established in which a certain market price is set up a year ago, then the villagers would own local products, and thus agricultural biodiversity, and we started to implement our project idea.”

Underlining that the project aims to contribute to traditional agriculture, Argun gives another traditional practice in the region as an example: “The products of chestnut trees are collected by the descendants of the tree thorn even though they were planted 5-6 generations ago on state land. For example, it is said by everyone that the chestnut was planted centuries ago by Kara Kamil. The first walnut is said to have been brought by a wise person named Koca Ismail to the region. The person to which the planted tree is inherited will take care of it and collect its products. Nowadays, one of the most important issues is the grandchild's owning the trees planted by his grandfather.”

The project will contribute to the reproduction of domestic black cattle in the mountain by supporting the production and marketing of sausage, which is a meat product. With the support of Bigadiç halvah and tahini, the interest in the production of local sesame, whose production has decreased a lot, will be awakened again. “The taste of Bigadic halvah is due to the fact that it is made from local sesame besides the master's formula. Halvahs on the market are made from glucose and sesame seeds, which are imported and known to include GMOs.” says Argun.

Traditional Bigadiç Basket is filled with natural products and marketed

Throughout this project that has been designed to be compatible with all these approaches and experiences, Bigadiç Basket was developed as a product. Argun says, “The basket can be made from wild hazelnut branches, a chaste tree on the mountain. In the past, you could go to Bigadiç market with this basket; vegetables such as onions and potatoes were not crushed at the bottom, and products such as tomatoes etc. were placed on top. In this project where materials such as plastic bags and paper bags are not used, traditional old cotton drains are used. We have developed a system in which our traditional basket can be filled with natural products and marketed. In summary, we do the packaging and transportation with our traditional product.”

Another effect of the project is on traditional handicraft. It is aimed to restore the handicrafts in the dowry chest that existed in the past. The trainings of women in this regard have been completed. Again, the production of Yağcıbedir carpet, an important income source of women in the region had stopped. The rejuvenation of this tradition and the start of production in the carpet looms in houses are among the most important outputs of the project.

Various promotional activities have been initiated for the sale of this product either online or directly in the market; and marketing through thermal and eco tourism facilities and local administrations. The stage of entering the market has been reached by creating sales offices in local administrations. Orders have been received both from touristic facilities and units supported by local governments for the online sale of the product after the project is completed.

Bigadiç Basket products are also available online on Good4trust.

https://good4trust.org/carsi/urunler/bigadic_sepeti-9800605154