Determination of Location Quotient of Organic Agriculture in Türkiye

The main objective of the study is to determine in which provinces organic agriculture is clustered in Türkiye. Location quotient is one of the most widely used indices in regional concentration measurements and expresses the degree of specialization of a certain production activity within a country/region/sector or the relative concentration of a certain production activity in a certain region. In this direction, within the scope of the study, it is aimed to determine the location quotient of organic agriculture, which provides competitive advantage throughout Türkiye, and it is envisaged to determine the location quotient in this direction. In determining the location quotient, the amount of production, which is one of the best indicators of economic performance, was used. As a matter of fact, the amount of production is the most important indicator showing which production activity is more dominant and the location quotient to be calculated takes a value between 0 and infinity (∞). If the relevant production activity has a score greater than 1, it indicates that the activity is the main production activity that is concentrated/specialised in the region. However, if the score is less than 1, it indicates that the activity is a local one that is not sufficiently concentrated/specialised in the region. Following the analysis, Eastern Anatolia and Central Anatolia are the regions with the highest concentration of organic agriculture production. The top 10 provinces with the most concentrated organic agriculture production are Van (7), Ağrı (6), Ankara (6), Bayburt (6), Erzurum (6), Çanakkale (5), Kars (5), Muş (5), Niğde and Sivas. The most widely produced crops are alfalfa (18), wheat (16), tomato (15), apple (14), maize (12), barley (12), hazelnut (9), sainfoin (9), olive (9), oat (9) and vetch (9). Localized and intensified organic farming systems have proven effective in generating high income per unit of land, optimizing agricultural land utilization, and ensuring sustainability. They also provide specialized labour forces, sector-specific inputs, and the use of advanced technologies. Therefore, it is believed that the formations will enhance the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the region by increasing productivity and promoting the growth of organic agriculture. This will lead to significant benefits for the region's development.