A panel on “Resource Efficiency in Agriculture and Agro-based Industries in the Digitalised World” was held on 9 January 2019 in Ankara in the context of the Project “Integrated Resource Efficiency in Agriculture and Agro-based Industries” implemented by the GAP Regional Development Administration with UNDP technical assistance.

The opening remarks for the panel were delivered by Dr. Çetin Ali Dönmez, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology; Dr. Halil İbrahim Çetin, Director-General for Industry and Productivity, Ministry of Industry and Technology; Sadrettin Karahocagil, Head of GAP Regional Development Administration; and Claudio Tomasi, UNDP Acting Resident Representative.

The panel addressed resource efficiency in the context of agriculture and agro-based industry. Resource efficiency refers to sustainably using the scarce resources of the planet with minimal impact on environment, and producing more and adding value using less resources.

Examples on how increased use of technology improved productivity in agriculture and agro-based industry were shared by the panellists who included Prof. Dr. Gökhan Özertan, Boğaziçi University Department Chair of Economics; Tanzer Bilgen, President of DOKTAR Board of Management; Dr. Mustafa Kemal Akgül, Head of Productivity Applications Department, DG for Industry and Productivity, Ministry of Industry and Technology; Dr. Uygar Özesmi, GooD4Trust Founder and Instigator; Ümit Savcıgil, Director of Pınar Institute; Neriman Kalyoncuoğlu, Anadolu Efes Corporate Communications Manager; and Aylin Alagöz, Boğaziçi University, Member of Management Board of the Turkish National Committee for Solid Waste Research and Control.

The panel was moderated by Ilgaz Gürsoy, Producer and Presenter of NTV Common Future Programme.

The panel addressed such issues as circular economy and resource efficiency, use of technology and sustainability in agriculture, resource efficiency practices in industry, generating energy from agricultural waste, relation of consumption economy and agriculture, efficiency in logistics and lines. Good practices were highlighted from projects such as Resource Efficiency in Agriculture and Agro-based Industries in the GAP Region, Future is in Agriculture, and Future of Our Milk is in Conscious Hands.