Northern Cyprus–Türkiye Carob Workshop: Research and Sustainable Production in the Mediterranean
Researchers, producers, public institutions and industry representatives came together at Near East University to discuss the future of carob production, research and sector cooperation in the Mediterranean.
Carob offers a valuable lens through which to examine the relationship between agricultural heritage, scientific research and rural development. In Northern Cyprus, discussions about its future bring together questions of cultivation, producer value, processing, market potential and the role of local knowledge in shaping research priorities.
The Northern Cyprus–Türkiye Carob Workshop, hosted by Near East University, brought these interconnected issues into a shared discussion among academics, public institutions, producer organisations and industry representatives. Organised jointly by Near East University, the Northern Cyprus Carob Growers Association and the Alanya Carob Producers Association, the event focused on “The Future of Carob in the Mediterranean Basin: Science, Industry, and Sector Cooperation.” Academics from Akdeniz University, Antalya Bilim University and Near East University contributed scientific presentations on production potential, opportunities for higher added value, industrial applications and sustainable production models.
In this context, agricultural heritage was approached not simply as something to preserve, but as a resource that can inform future research and development. Carob, as a locally valued crop, offers opportunities to explore how traditional knowledge, scientific investigation and sustainable production can be brought together while maintaining the knowledge and relationships associated with its cultivation.
Scientific Research and Agricultural Heritage
Near East University Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ situated carob within the Mediterranean’s agricultural and cultural heritage. He emphasised the responsibility of universities to investigate local products through scientific methods and to share the resulting knowledge with producers and society. His remarks underlined the role of universities in strengthening the connection between scientific inquiry and agricultural practice.
The discussions also pointed to several possible directions for future research, including variation in yield and product characteristics, documentation of cultivation practices, and questions related to processing. These areas were raised as potential fields for further investigation rather than as findings established by the workshop, and would need to be developed together with producers while taking available expertise and resources into account.
Prof. Dr. Özge Özden, Dean of the Near East University Faculty of Agriculture, placed carob within the faculty’s wider research on local products, including olives and olive oil, honey, Cyprus potatoes and halloumi. Describing carob, locally known as harnup, as part of the island’s natural heritage, she expressed the intention to continue cooperation through workshops in Alanya and joint projects, with support sought from the relevant ministries in Northern Cyprus and Türkiye.
For future collaboration, linking research questions more directly with practical needs will be important. Jointly defining priorities, documenting methods and communicating results in accessible forms could help producers evaluate the relevance of findings, while allowing the university to demonstrate the practical value and wider contribution of its research.
Production Challenges and the Carob Value Chain
Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources Hüseyin Çavuş identified climate change, drought and developments in global markets as pressures facing the carob sector. He reaffirmed the ministry’s support for producers while recognising that public assistance alone could not resolve the challenges facing the sector. His remarks connected the continuity of production with the ability of growers to obtain greater value from their products.
Discussions on higher added value also drew attention to the wider value chain. Processing capacity, quality, production costs, access to buyers and commercial feasibility all influence whether new applications can create meaningful benefits for producers and the sector. Considering these dimensions together provides a more realistic basis for evaluating opportunities and avoids assuming that a technically possible product will necessarily be commercially viable.
Bringing Scientific Expertise and Producer Knowledge Together
Duran Yılmaz, President of the Alanya Carob Producers Association, described the workshop as a starting point for joint development efforts. Drawing attention to producer support policies in Northern Cyprus, he expressed interest in developing a shared roadmap with ministerial support. Bekir Bolatcan, President of the Northern Cyprus Carob Growers Association, emphasised the importance of combining scientific guidance with growers’ practical experience in addressing longstanding sectoral challenges.
Future work could begin by identifying producers’ priorities through structured consultation rather than assuming that needs are uniform. Issues such as harvesting, consistency of supply, processing access and marketing may provide useful areas for assessment. Establishing which constraints matter most would allow subsequent projects to define clearer objectives and provide a stronger basis for evaluating their contribution.
From Field Research to a Shared Research Agenda
The participation of local government and cooperative representatives introduced opportunities to connect the discussion with field activity. Tatlısu Mayor Hayri Orçan expressed the municipality’s readiness to support projects undertaken jointly by universities and producer associations. He proposed existing carob plantations in Tatlısu as possible pilot sites for sampling and scientific research. Producers from the Entrepreneurial Women’s Development Cooperative also attended the workshop.
The Tatlısu proposal offers a concrete starting point for a potential applied research programme. An initial phase could document selected sites and existing management practices, followed by the identification of a manageable set of research questions together with participating growers. Depending on the agreed objectives, subsequent work could examine yield and product characteristics across sites or growing seasons.
Any future field research would need clearly defined methods, responsibilities and data collection procedures so that findings can be interpreted reliably and shared with producers in an accessible form. Continued cooperation with partners in Alanya could also create opportunities to compare research priorities, discuss methods and develop joint approaches. Before implementation, participating institutions would need to agree on responsibilities, resources, data collection and how results would be shared.
Returning findings to growers in a clear and understandable form would be an important part of the process. In this way, progress could be assessed through defined activities and outputs, rather than through the continuation of meetings alone.
From Discussion to Collaboration
The workshop created a shared platform for connecting agricultural heritage, scientific research and sectoral development. Its next stage will depend on translating this dialogue into clearly defined research and cooperation projects. For Near East University, this creates an opportunity to connect academic expertise with questions that matter to producers and local communities, while contributing to knowledge that is both scientifically sound and practically relevant.