Being one of Turkey’s leading suppliers of agricultural raw materials, Kerevitaş, one of Yıldız Holding’s group companies, will purchase 5 thousand tons of fresh fruits and vegetables from contracted women farmers via its Superfresh brand creating a value of TRY 35 million. Within the scope of the “Women Stars of Agriculture” project which has been implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, an incentive of TRY 500 thousand will be provided to the contracted women farmers.
Yıldız Holding Women’s Platform, which continues its efforts to empower women in business life and in all social fields, will start an important project that aims to support contracted women farmers. In the Women Stars of Agriculture project, which is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and led by Yıldız Holding Women’s Platform, procurement of 5 thousand tons of fresh fruits and vegetables from contracted women farmers until 2025 will be guaranteed on behalf of Superfresh, one of the brands under Kerevitaş creating a value of TRY 35 million. Additionally, an incentive of TRY 500 thousand will be provided to women farmers by Yıldız Holding Women’s Platform within the scope of the project.
Vahit Kirişci: “This project will make significant contribution to rural development”
Vahit Kirişçi, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ali Ülker, Chair of the Board of Yıldız Holding, Begüm Mutuş, Ambassador of Yıldız Holding Women’s Platform and women farmers to benefit from the support program attended the press conference where details of the project were conveyed. Stating that the project will set an important example for the business world in terms of encouraging local suppliers and especially women farmers, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vahit Kirişçi said, “Projects for rural development are also at the center of many works conducted for the development of the country. For this reason, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, we attach great importance to the projects to be implemented in order to support our rural women. We are also happy that this project was led by Yıldız Holding, which is a pioneer in Turkish food industry. We are looking forward to many more projects to come that will contribute to rural development.”
Ali Ülker: “We will increase the share of women farmers in our procurement by 100 percent”
Reminding that they established Yıldız Holding Women’s Platform in 2021 in order to ensure continuous implementation of equal opportunities practices in Yıldız Holding and its group companies, and provide women with more visibility in Turkish business life, Chair of the Board of Yıldız Holding Ali Ülker said, “We have ongoing works to support women’s social and economic empowerment and we conduct effective collaborations with our stakeholders. While establishing our Platform, we aimed to accelerate equal opportunities practices not only for Yıldız Holding employees but also for thousands of women in our supply chain. Based on this understanding, we will implement an important project where we will purchase fresh fruits and vegetables directly from our contracted women farmers on behalf of Superfresh, one of the largest suppliers of agricultural raw materials in our country. With this project, which we announced today with the support of the Ministry, we showed that we have the powerful intention to increase the share of women suppliers in our procurement. With this project that will provide procurement guarantee and financing to the women farmers in the supply chain of Superfresh, we will increase the share of women farmers in our procurement by 100 percent in the next three years.”
Mutuş: “We contribute to a total transformation in the field of equal opportunities.”
Stating that inclusion and cultural differences are two of the leading global values of Yıldız Holding, Begüm Mutuş, Ambassador of Yıldız Holding Women’s Platform, said, “Our Women’s Platform aims to accelerate the implementation of exemplary practices in Yıldız Holding and its group companies and support a total transformation in the field of equal opportunities in our country. Within this context, we will make a significant collaboration with women farmers and start “Women Stars of Agriculture” project. On behalf of Superfresh, a guarantee for direct procurement from contracted women farmers will be in place for three years.”
Begüm Mutuş reminded that Yıldız Holding Women’s Platform has recently become a partner to United Nations’ “Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator” (WEA) initiative which aims to create enabling ecosystems for women entrepreneurs around the world, and that they will continue to support women entrepreneurship.