ILPC 2026

              The economic and social atmosphere of Turkey started to change in favour of capital with emergence of neoliberal paradigm in the 1980s. Even though there are a number of dimensions of this process, some prominent dynamics are resembling other developing countries: rising unemployment led by privatizations, de-unionization, sub-contracted working, informal employment, and semi-proletarization.  

Turkey’s agricultural policy was also affected by the neoliberal paradigm, and the number of people in agricultural activities has decreased year by year with agenda of EU Common Agricultural Policy. By the year 2016, the GDP share of agricultural activities was 6.2%, and the people employed in agriculture sector decreased to 18% of total employment (from 35% in 2003). If we consider these basic statistics with the entities of huge monopolies like Lipton Co. (tea), Ferrero Co. (hazelnut), Phillip Morris Co. (tobacco) which shape the agricultural sector in all means, both producers and workers in agriculture are sharing poverty. Indeed, most of the agricultural producers in today’s Turkey (tea, hazelnut, tobacco, and dairy producers) are disadvantaged suppliers of multinational or local monopolies, and these producers are about to lose complete control on production process. In fact, this situation leads to serious social unrests in late years.

In this study, we will focus on new cooperativism wave, and also organizing practices in agricultural sector, throughout different regions of Turkey. In most of the cases these cooperative practices seen as the last opportunity in resistance against proletarization. The working class’ organizing practices in agricultural cooperatives are another important dimension of the question. These workers are part of production process in every phase: in the field, in the factory, or in the sales. Thus, the relationship between cooperative (producers) and workers is one of the most important axis of this study. In this study, we used qualitative research methods (a number of semi-structured in-depth interviews with producers and also workers, some of them completed/recorded in 2017 and some of the interviews will be completed until February 2018). Fundamental question of the paper is as follows: Are these agricultural cooperatives have a potential to be an alternative to market relations? Can we assess these cooperatives as prominent practices of a new model?

To answer these questions, firstly the paper is focusing on the organizing of production process of these cooperatives. There are two sides in the production process: villagers/farmers and workers (packing, transportation, and sales). Does the production process create a win-win situation for both sides? Because, the reasons and the economic atmosphere which push the producers to establish cooperatives is the same with the reasons which push workers to unionize. Therefore, whether the new cooperativism practices create a new way for workers or not is crucial. Otherwise these cooperatives will focus on protecting only producers’ interests against market relations, in the meantime they will also establish relationships based on exploitation like ordinary companies with their workers. If this is the case, we cannot argue that these practices have a potential to be an alternative.

One another important point is the cooperatives positions’ in their surrounding economic atmosphere. The following questions are extremely important as to whether we can argue that there is a potential to discuss about a model: Are these cooperatives trying to establish a network with each other? (There are some supporting facts on this issue at different levels) Are these cooperatives buying necessary inputs for production (fertilizer etc.) from other cooperatives or companies, and finally, are the products/outputs of cooperatives reach consumers via other cooperatives or companies? We will discuss the possibilities and limitations of the current agricultural cooperative practices in Turkey, with an attempt to find answers to these questions.