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3rd Positive Future in Agriculture Symposium was Held in Istanbul, Hosted by PepsiCo Türkiye and Sustainability Academy
07 May 2025At the 3rd Positive Future in Agriculture Symposium, hosted by PepsiCo Turkey and the Sustainability Academy in Istanbul, ways to protect resources and carry the world into the future, and what can be done across a wide spectrum from farmers to end consumers in the food supply chain and the role of people in this process were discussed. PepsiCo Turkey General Manager Evrim Şen, who spoke at the opening of the symposium, said, “In a period where sustainability is extremely important, I believe that the messages given in our symposium, the concrete solution proposals and good examples will be a new ray of hope for everyone.”
PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, continues to contribute to building a sustainable future with its positive impact on value chain, agriculture and the choices it offers, in line with the PepsiCo Positive (Pep+) strategy.
PepsiCo, which makes significant investments in agriculture to establish a sustainable food system, also contributes to the development of the agricultural ecosystem through the collaborations it realizes. PepsiCo also leads in further increasing the positive impact to be created in agriculture by bringing together stakeholders of the agricultural ecosystem at different meetings and platforms.
With this approach, stakeholders of the agricultural ecosystem came together in Istanbul at the 3rd Positive Future in Agriculture Symposium hosted by PepsiCo Turkey and the Sustainability Academy. At the symposium held under the main theme “A Sustainable Future in Our Food Systems: How Can We Reshape?”, four different panels were held titled “Transformation for a Positive Future in the Food Supply Chain from Farmer to Consumer”, “Protecting Resources, Carrying the World to the Future”, “The Indispensable Element of the Food Supply Chain: Human” and “Conversation with Demet Evgar: Reviving Hope Through Social Responsibility Projects”.
The calculation of the carbon footprint of the event and the reduction of its impact through planting trees was supported by the ÇEVKO Foundation.
The symposium, which started with the opening speeches of PepsiCo Turkey General Manager Evrim Şen and Sustainability Academy Chairman Murat Sungur Bursa, was hosted by journalist and writer Ilgaz Gürsoy. Representatives from the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office, the Sustainability Academy, leading companies of Türkiye and NGOs contributed to building a positive future in agriculture with their speeches.
In the “Transformation for a Positive Future in the Food Supply Chain from Farmer to Consumer” session moderated by Sustainability Academy Board Member Semra Sevinç, Microsoft Senior Customer Relations Manager Barbaros Günay, KAGIDER Board Member Beyza Beyzade Berkol, Metro Corporate Relations Manager Dr. Aslı Duran Özcan shared important insights on the food supply chain. In the “Protecting Resources, Carrying the World to the Future” session moderated by journalist and writer Ilgaz Gürsoy, Sustainable Development Association Secretary General Konca Çalkıvik, Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office Investment Supports Unit Manager Muhittin Aslan and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Turkey Deputy Country Director Mehmet Erdem Yaşar discussed what can be done to ensure resource sustainability. In the “The Indispensable Element of the Food Supply Chain: Human” session moderated by Refika Birgül, World Food Program Türkiye Representative Stefan Cahill and CARE Türkiye Deputy Country Director Zena Ni Dhuinn-Bhig had a fruitful discussion on how to address the human aspect in food and agriculture. At the symposium, Lay’s brand ambassador and UN Women Türkiye goodwill ambassador Demet Evgar had a conversation with Hatay farmer Didem Esmer, who rekindled hope through social responsibility projects.
PepsiCo Turkey General Manager Evrim Şen: “We are expanding our impact for positive agriculture with each collaboration we realize”
Stating that she believes that the messages, concrete solution proposals and good examples shared at the symposium will be a new ray of hope for everyone in a period where sustainability is important, PepsiCo Turkey General Manager Evrim Şen said, “As PepsiCo, we realize many projects for a sustainable life and we attach importance to coming together with our stakeholders and exchanging ideas through events like today. In line with our sustainability-focused PepsiCo Positive strategy, we have many good examples under Positive Agriculture, Positive Value Chain and Positive Choices. In addition to the many efforts we have carried out under the Positive Value Chain, we also implement projects especially to support reducing the effects of the climate crisis. As one of the first countries within PepsiCo globally to achieve the goal of 100% renewable electricity, we recently became the first company in the FMCG sector in Türkiye to carry out food transportation via electric trains. With transportation done by electric train on a round-trip route exceeding 1600 km, we reduced carbon emissions by 83% compared to transportation by road. In addition, under Positive Agriculture, we carry out contracted farming with more than 200 farmers in 20 cities in Türkiye, across a total area of 50,000 decares. We are working to expand our impact for positive agriculture with every collaboration we realize. As PepsiCo, we will continue to develop these good examples yesterday, today and tomorrow for a sustainable life and secure food network. We are very pleased to continue to be together with our valuable stakeholders, who are our greatest strength on this journey.”
Murat Sungur Bursa: “Producing enough food to feed the world population is only possible by updating our food systems and increasing conscious consumption”
In his opening speech, Sustainability Academy Chairman Murat Sungur Bursa stated that he was pleased to continue this valuable cooperation with PepsiCo and called on all stakeholders in the sector to take action. Bursa in his speech said, “Today, we unfortunately observe that some agricultural practices have a significant impact on the increase of greenhouse gas emissions and the destruction of our valuable natural resources. 1 in every 10 people in the world is hungry. Nearly 30% of the world population cannot access healthy food. However, 30% of the food produced in the world is wasted before it even leaves the field. Producing enough food to feed the world population is only possible by updating our food systems and increasing conscious consumption. However, not only meeting the natural need for nutrition, but for people to live a healthy life, agriculture must be done with different practices and the transition to sustainable food systems must be accelerated, as we will hear examples of today. If we do not make food systems sustainable, focusing on the sustainability of other areas will not benefit us. We would be discussing the sustainability of a life that does not exist. Talking about these urgent situations and future risks with stakeholders and encouraging everyone to take action and progress in a solution-oriented direction is our top priority. The solution-oriented proposals, good practices and cooperation calls shared today in this symposium organized for this purpose will also provide extremely important contributions to accelerating change.”
In the “Transformation for a Positive Future in the Food Supply Chain from Farmer to Consumer” session, Microsoft Senior Customer Relations Manager Barbaros Günay, KAGIDER Board Member Beyza Beyzade Berkol, Metro Corporate Relations Manager Dr. Aslı Duran Özcan made important statements. Speaking about the use of artificial intelligence technologies in agriculture, Microsoft Senior Customer Relations Manager Barbaros Günay said, “The use of artificial intelligence technologies in agriculture enables precision farming techniques and ensures more efficient use of resources, automates labor-intensive tasks and helps farmers make more informed decisions through data-based insights, significantly increasing efficiency while reducing operational costs and environmental waste.”
KAGIDER Board Member Beyza Beyzade Berkol pointed out that digital agriculture technologies empower women entrepreneurs by increasing efficiency in agricultural production and allowing them to become leaders of sustainable development. Emphasizing that they regularly conduct food and beverage research to develop business partners in line with changing consumer trends and enable customers to respond to consumer demands, Metro Corporate Communications Manager Dr. Aslı Duran Özcan said, “Products we call geographical indication products are our cultural heritage. If we cannot protect the product and the producer, it is not possible to protect Turkish cuisine and ensure its sustainability. Therefore, raising awareness among producers and consumers is of critical importance.”
Muhittin Aslan: “In the food and agriculture sectors, Türkiye is by far the country that attracts the most investment in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa regions”
At the “Protecting Resources, Carrying the World to the Future” session, Sustainable Development Association Secretary General Konca Çalkıvik, Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office Investment Supports Unit Manager Muhittin Aslan and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Türkiye Deputy Country Director Mehmet Erdem Yaşar shared insights on how to carry the world into a better future. Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office Investment Supports Unit Manager Muhittin Aslan said: “As the Presidency Investment Office, we are carrying out extensive work to attract and support sustainable investments in the agriculture and food sectors in our country. In the Turkey International Direct Investment (FDI) Strategy (2024 – 2028) document, prepared with the support of all relevant public and private sector stakeholders by our institution, ‘climate-friendly international direct investments’ are identified as one of the priority areas we want to attract to our country. On the other hand, investments focused on circular economy and investments that will improve our country’s R&D and innovation infrastructure in the agriculture and food sectors are also among our priorities and these types of investments will further strengthen our country's strong position in these sectors. As you know, Türkiye is a global leader in the production of many agricultural products and is an integrated production center to world markets with an export volume of approximately 30 billion dollars. Moreover, as stated in our recently announced FDI Strategy, Türkiye is by far the country that attracts the most investment in the food and agriculture sectors in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa regions. With its geographical advantages, qualified human resources and strong infrastructure, Türkiye is a global and regional hub in the agriculture and food sectors, while also offering significant opportunities for sustainable investment projects in areas such as smart agriculture technologies, recycling and smart water management. As the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office, we continue to work in cooperation with international investors to introduce this potential to the global business world and further strengthen Türkiye’s global and regional position in these sectors.”
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Türkiye Deputy Country Director Mehmet Erdem Yaşar stated that their 5-year strategic plan covering the years 2025-2029 was announced in November, and noted that the highlights of the strategic plan are increasing renewable energy integration, resource efficiency, carbon neutrality and employment, emphasizing that especially women’s employment plays a major role in terms of agricultural development.
Sustainable Development Association Secretary General Konca Çalkıvik emphasized that sustainable agricultural practices are essential to combat climate change and protect resources under the pressure of the growing population, and said “As SKD Türkiye, we contribute to our country’s sustainable development goals with the projects we develop to increase water efficiency in agricultural production, promote innovative agricultural practices and support digitalization.”
In the “The Indispensable Element of the Food Supply Chain: Human” session moderated by Refika Birgül, World Food Program Türkiye Representative Stefan Cahill and CARE Türkiye Deputy Country Director Zena Ni Dhuinn-Bhig made statements emphasizing the importance of the human factor in food and agriculture. WFP Country Director and Representative Stephen Cahill said that at WFP they see agriculture not only as a way to produce food, but also as a power that grows hope, resilience and prosperity, and that by supporting farmers with sustainable practices and building strong partnerships, today’s challenges can be transformed into a future full of food security and prosperity.
CARE Türkiye Deputy Country Director Zena Ni Dhuinn-Bhig underlined the importance of CARE’s work in integrating women into agricultural developments and decision-making processes, stating that this is not only beneficial for women but also for Türkiye’s broader goal of food security and sustainable agricultural development. Dhuinn-Bhig said, “Providing women with equal leadership opportunities, financial support and the professions of the future is the best investment we can make for long-term sustainable growth and a successful future.”
At the end of the symposium, Lay’s brand ambassador and also UN Women Türkiye goodwill ambassador Demet Evgar met with Hatay farmer Didem Esmer in the panel “Reviving Hope with Social Responsibility Projects”. Evgar, who said that she comes from a family that has been farming for four generations, stated that after the devastation caused by the earthquake, it was a responsibility to stand by farmers in Hatay. Didem Esmer, who said that she lost hope after the earthquake, expressed, “Thanks to the Lay’s Joint Action, Fertility Again Project, one cannot turn their back on the land and agriculture. Now hope and motivation to work has strengthened again among farmers in the region.”
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