The launch of the Innovative Agriculture and Food Entrepreneurship Platform, established within the Innovation and Competition-Oriented Development Studies Application and Research Center of Boğaziçi University, took place on Thursday, February 22, 2018, at Boğaziçi University with the “Innovative Technologies in the Agriculture and Food Value Chain Conference.” At the conference, the relationship between technology and agriculture was discussed in a dynamic and innovative flow by academics, producers, financial institutions, policymakers, input and technology providers, representatives from the energy and retail sectors, sectoral associations, and non-governmental organizations. It was emphasized that the greatest threat to agriculture in Türkiye is climate change.

The conference, which began with the opening speech of Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmed Özkan, also hosted many prominent names from the sector, including Dr. Nevzat Birişik, Director General of Agricultural Research and Policies, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Burak Koçak, Deputy General Manager of Denizbank Agricultural Banking Group, Kasım Akdeniz, General Manager of Credit Bureau, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Semih Tümen, General Manager of Structural Economic Research at the Central Bank.

Prof. Dr. Gökhan Özertan, Faculty Member of the Department of Economics at Boğaziçi University and one of the founders of the Innovative Agriculture Platform, stated that at the center of agricultural innovation efforts around the world is the producer; surrounding the producer is a large chain made up of many different components, from financial institutions to end consumers, which nourishes and shapes the agriculture and food sectors.