“RC has instilled self-responsibility in me to respect nature, farmers, and the consumers.”
COVER STORY: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Murat Tapık left the corporate life in 2012 to found a family farm, Datça Murat Çiftliği, which espouses local production and conscious consumption.
Murat Tapik RC 07
Why is it important to consume locally grown food?
It is important to support local farmers. Also getting food from far distances creates additional carbon emissions. Moving edible goods is sensitive, so that its logistics are both expensive and not good for the environment. Fuel consumption for logistics and cooler needs are two of the highest carbon producers. Requirement of fertilizers and pesticides is also not good for nature and the people who consume those foods.
As an owner of a farm, what are the environmental sustainability issues that you face daily?
Water consumption and fuel use constitute the most important daily sustainability issues for a farmer. Since fields in Turkey and particularly those of small farmers are divided multiple times through the decades, infrastructure for these farm fields is not very effective. Water consumption is usually very high for a small area. Fuel use for the farmers for their own needs and for the logistics for their goods to be delivered to big cities is also a big sustainability issue.
How has your experience at RC affected you?
I remember vividly our biology classes and the time we spent outside. RC has instilled self-responsibility in me to respect nature, farmers, and the consumers all at the same time. Creating healthy food for people with the smallest carbon footprint is one of the most important targets of Datça Murat Çiftliği.
Published August 2021
