Is produce purchased at your corner manav organic by definition? Not so, says Jeff Gibbs.

Most of my Turkish friends, when asked, blithely insist that Turkish produce is organic by default.  But this is kind of how chicken and fish are not meat, and therefore, fair game for vegetarians.  They're right in the sense that Turks have an intrinsic distaste for food tormented by hormones (my own manav warns me away from any vegetables undergoing hormone treatments); but wrong because, since the 1950s, Turkish commercial farms have been using the same chemical pesticides--and fungicides, and herbicides, and acaricides (that's mite killers, people)--that everyone else does.  Plus, bad food is not the only side-effect of conventional farming--water pollution, destruction of habitats and all the other usual bugbears of environmental abuse abound.  While many generally organic farms dot the landscape, the EU standard certified ones are hard to find, but on the rise.

Most of Istanbul's produce springs from the maws of the three gigantic wholesalers known as "hals" in Turkish.  The freshness of the product depends on the season--tomatoes in January scream Franken-fruit.  Everyone from your market to your local manav most likely got his produce from one of these hals.  Giants like Carrefour and Metro often have their own private farms that raise crops exclusively for their stores--most conventionally farmed, but a few grown to organic standards.  In fact, contracts with these European Wal-Marts are an impetus for local farmers to bite the bullet and go organic. 

Markets like Kadıköy's Tuesday Bazaar are a mixed bag. Most of the vendors get their produce from the hals.  However, if you wander among the stalls, you'll see many fronted by the sign bahçemden--“from my garden.”  Others cart their wares in from small farms where traditional techniques (i.e. unofficially organic) have not stopped since the days of the Hittites.  You need to do a little detective work.

Many of Turkey’s farmers are still uncertain of the wisdom of converting to organic.  People are still, quote unquote, "assessing the feasibility".  What this means is, buy organic.  Let everyone know they can make a local profit!  Look for the green label that says Organik Tarım.  It features what looks like six green spermatozoa swimming over Turkey.  


These are the fruits and vegetables you can (roughly) find in season in Istanbul according to Mustafa, my Kadıköy manav.  Stick with them, and you should be able to avoid anything assembled in a lab.

November--March: Lettuce, cabbages, celeriac, squashes, cauliflower, oranges, onions, leeks, quinces--in short, all greens, roots, citrus, and gourds.
April--May:  Romaine lettuce, honey squash, cucumbers, peas, broad beans, strawberries, Malta plums, and beans of all sorts.
June--October:  Still many from spring, plus purslane, tomatoes, okra, melons, fresh grape leaves, grapes, green peppers, red peppers, hot peppers, apricots, pears, plums, peaches, carrots, medlar, summer apples, persimmons, nectarines, and figs.
All seasons: dry onions, potatoes, dill, mint, parsley, pickled grape leaves, garlic, lemons.


There are official places to get your certified organic produce--ranging from faraway farms to local grocers.  Here are a few.
1.  Chain-stores Metro, Namlı and Carrefour have small organic sections.
2.  Farms!  "Organik'se" will deliver boxes of fresh produce to your door on a weekly basis for as little as 160TL a month.  A small box in March includes carrots, leeks, red cabbage, broccoli, Romaine, lentils, and mandarins. Website in Turkish, www.organiksebze.com.  İlçe Tarım in Ümraniye has a similar system.  You can find them at www.ilcetarim.com
3.  The Ekolojik Pazar in Şişli.  Istanbul's only all organic bazaar.  The farmers come from as far as 300 kilometres away to bring you their goodies.  It’s every Saturday at the Feriköy Halk Pazarı (Bomonti Caddesi, Lala Şahin Sokak) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  . 
4.  City Farm in Istinye.  They have a whole host of organic products, not just food, and online shopping for your convenience.  They're in the İstinye Park Alışveriş Merkezi.  Their website, in English, is www.cityfarm.com.tr
5.  For a comprehensive list of all the certified organic outlets in the city.  Go to this website for www.orguder.org.tr


What does organic certification mean anyway?  Well, here are some of the rules according to most EU countries (and Turkish law).  Definitions are loose, but basically they must adhere to the following standards. 

1.  Must avoid all chemical fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, etc.
2.  No fertilizers made with sewage.
3.  No bioengineering or ionizing radiation.
4.  Use farmland free of chemicals for a number of years.
5.  Must undergo regular inspections.
6. Maintain strict separation of organic and conventional products
7.  Makes use of crop rotation, composting, green manure and mechanical cultivation to minimize environmental impact.
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