The centres which will be opened under the “Villages of Tomorrow” initiative in Adana, Diyarbakır and Izmir will bring digital opportunities to local producers and support rural development

Under the “Villages of Tomorrow” initiative of Trendyol and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aiming to increase the production potential of villages through digital technologies, as a first step, digital centres will be established in Kürkçüler, Bağıvar and Ulamış villages of Adana, Diyarbakır and Izmir provinces respectively.

In these three pilot villages, UNDP and Trendyol held workshops in January with the participation of representatives from public institutions and NGOs, academics and opinion leaders in order to get local stakeholders’ suggestions and develop a roadmap in a participatory approach. The outputs of the workshops will help to develop provincial product maps and governance plans.

The production in villages will be supported with technology

While the main focus of the initiative is to develop a sustainable and technology-based production culture, village products with a distinctive Anatolian branding will also find a direct path to end consumers.

The digital centres will make digital technologies accessible for all in the villages. They will take an inclusive approach, seeking to engage youth, women and persons with disabilities. Local producers will receive training and consultancy services in areas such as e-commerce, e-export, product development, marketing, branding, packaging, finance and quality control. Thus, they will have an opportunity to meet directly with the consumers to deliver their locally grown products and crafts.

The digital centres will also disseminate smart agricultural practices, helping local farmers increase yields, reduce costs and protect nature. Also, coding, algorithm and robotics workshops will be organized for village children.

Digital centres will be established 10 villages over 5 years

Launching initially in three pilot villages in Adana, Diyarbakır and Izmir provinces, “Villages of Tomorrow” aims eventually to reach a total of ten villages and more than 1 million people over five years. In each village, local products, which have growth potential will be focused on. It is foreseen that the share of new e-commerce entrepreneurs in the villages will increase by 60 percent by the time the project is completed.

“Villages of Tomorrow” aims to improve production, increase employment, ensure equal digital opportunities, support local economy and social development in pilot villages together with the neighbouring ones while providing people with technology opportunities.