MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

Their core work

Turkey's national authority responsible for agricultural policy, food safety, forestry management, and rural development. Within H2020, their research arm (TAGEM — General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies) contributes field-level data, national crop germplasm collections, and policy implementation expertise across European research networks. They bring large-scale agricultural land management experience, animal disease surveillance infrastructure, and regulatory coordination capacity that few academic partners can match. Their involvement typically grounds EU research in real-world farming conditions across Turkey's diverse agro-climatic zones.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early H2020 projects (2015–2017) centered on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and crop genetic resources — with keywords like sustainable development, Solanaceae, and organic agriculture dominating. From 2018 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward climate change adaptation, animal disease preparedness (African swine fever, lumpy skin disease), and soil management, reflecting both EU policy priorities and Turkey's own agricultural vulnerabilities. The ministry has progressively moved from cataloguing and conserving resources to actively breeding climate-resilient crops and managing climate-related agricultural risks.

Moving firmly toward climate adaptation in agriculture — expect continued investment in soil carbon management, resilient crop varieties, and transboundary animal disease control.

How they like to work

Almost exclusively a participant (19 of 20 projects), with just one coordination role in HerbaRice — a targeted crop breeding project. They operate in large ERA-NET-style consortia (11 of 20 projects are ERA-NET Cofunds), connecting with 285 unique partners across 55 countries, which makes them one of the most broadly networked agricultural ministries in H2020. This pattern suggests they function as a reliable national node that provides field data, germplasm access, and policy context rather than driving project design — a valuable, low-friction partner for consortium builders needing Turkish agricultural sector coverage.

Exceptionally broad network spanning 285 partners across 55 countries, driven by participation in large ERA-NET cofund actions that connect national funding agencies and research bodies across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Geographic reach extends well beyond Europe through projects like FOSC and ICRAD that address global food security and animal disease challenges.

What sets them apart

As a national ministry rather than a university or research institute, they offer something rare in EU consortia: direct policy implementation power combined with access to Turkey's vast and diverse agricultural landscape — from Mediterranean olive groves to Black Sea tea plantations to Central Anatolian wheat fields. Their TAGEM research arm manages national gene banks and field trial networks that provide real-world validation at a scale most partners cannot. For any consortium needing a credible Turkish agricultural partner with both scientific capacity and regulatory authority, they are effectively the default choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EJP SOIL
  By far their largest H2020 grant (EUR 745K) — a European Joint Programme on climate-smart soil management, indicating deep institutional commitment to this area.
• HerbaRice
  Their only coordinated project: developing herbicide-resistant rice varieties for Europe using non-GMO mutation breeding — a commercially relevant, applied research effort.
• GEN4OLIVE
  Second-largest grant (EUR 265K) focused on olive genetic resources and pre-breeding, directly relevant to Turkey's position as one of the world's top olive producers.