Turkey’s first ‘slow food’ neighborhood
İZMİR – Anadolu Agency
DHA photo
The Germiyan neighborhood in the western province of İzmir’s Çeşme district has been launched as Turkey’s first “slow food” neighborhood by the Slow Food movement, which brings small producers and natural food into forefront against industrial production.The protocol was signed on May 15 by the representatives of Slow Food Turkey and Slow Food Germiyan.
Çeşme District Governor Mustafa Erkayıran said people were reacting against the estrangement caused by industrialization and wanted to return to more traditional ways of doing things.
“We try to realize the production of 100-200 years ago in villages. Germiyan will be the first place for this trial,” Erkayıran added.
Nedim Atilla, a founding member of Slow Food Turkey, said Germiyan would “go down in history” as Turkey’s first slow food neighborhood.
“Germiyan is an urban neighborhood, but we call it village symbolically. With this protocol, Germiyan will protect its values and clean products will be produced here. Vegetables will not be grown here out of their natural season. Germiyan’s bread and Kopanisti cheese will survive as the region’s important brands.
Products unique to Germiyan will be sold here for one year with a logo featuring a snail with an olive branch in its mouth.
The spokesperson of Slow Food Germiyan, Engin Önen, said the movement was becoming more popular in Turkey.
“These products do not contain chemical products, they are clean. They will reach consumers via this movement. The people of Germiyan have worked for two years to realize this. Now with our 27 members, we will start producing,” Önen added.