Final Statement of the Workshop on “The Role of Climate Change in Sustainable Hazelnut Farming”
The workshop held on May 31 – June 1, 2022 featured 9 presentations. A total of 166 participants attended the workshop, including representatives from universities, research institutes, industry, and producers.
One of the agricultural activities most intensely affected by global climate change is hazelnut farming. Extreme conditions such as heat/cold waves, droughts, short-term excessive rainfall, floods, and landslides that may occur during periods such as dormancy, flowering, bud burst, and fruit development in trees can seriously affect production. Climate change not only causes disasters but also jeopardizes food production and security.
An analysis of climate data over many years shows that average temperatures have increased over time, the distribution of annual rainfall across months has become unbalanced, and there has been a decrease in the duration of cold spells in recent years. The extreme changes in weather events brought about by global warming also affect plant physiology, causing interruptions in some processes. These assessments based on meteorological data reveal that significant problems may arise in hazelnut production areas due to global climate change. At the same time, changes or shifts in production areas may also occur.
In areas where hazelnuts are grown in Turkey, climate change is causing stress factors in plant physiology, changes in phenology, crop losses due to extreme weather conditions, and the emergence of new diseases and pests or an increase in the populations of existing ones, leading to greater economic losses. As a result of these changes, hazelnut production will become a labor-intensive production system in the coming years.
In some countries, the impact of climate change on hazelnut cultivation areas has been observed in the increase in the number and populations of invasive insects and microorganisms, the increased need for irrigation, and the development of new varieties and cultivation systems.
As a result of global climate change, the following measures are important to take.
- Drought-resistant varieties that are tolerant to low or high temperature stress, diseases, and pests should be bred.
- Water-saving methods should be developed, and importance should be given to terracing techniques and soil practices that ensure water retention in sloping areas.
- Support can be provided to producers for rainwater harvesting and storage systems.
- Public and private sectors should raise awareness about activities that cause carbon emissions in hazelnut farming and their alternatives through public service announcements.
- Importance should be given to applying environmentally friendly techniques at different stages of hazelnut production.
- Based on climate projections, hazelnut production is expected to shift from coastal areas to higher altitudes. One of the important findings of the workshop is that the spatial shift of hazelnut production will lead to the emergence of new production areas, the establishment of new orchards in these areas using modern techniques, and the widespread adoption of environmentally friendly production methods.
In conclusion, it is important to support research on developing tolerant/resilient varieties, cultivation practices, and alternatives to address global climate change, raise awareness about climate adaptation, and educate producers.
