FARMERS AND FOOD SUPPLY

Farmers and food manufacturers are not the ennemy of the consumers. At the end every single person is the consumer somehow of someone else. Even if you are farmer you cannot farm and grow everything you need at home or in your tiny backyard nor in your balcony. The mentality must be, to endevour for the producers to survive and even be happy of their job. The free market economy is leaving the producer alone over the wild supply/demand balance. And the big sword of Damokles in their hand , authorities are making this business frightening , frustrating and dangerous. To attract the readers social media is full of untrue entries written by incompetant persons , trolls and smear campaigns.

Producing food is not as other industries a stable and linear job. You are dependent of many outer factors. You can not control the weather conditions ,wilder weeds and plant  disesases. Fertilizers are presented as the most dangerous product to the world by newspapers , TV's and social media.Very few are telling that without it how would it be possible to satiate -now reaching to eight billion world population-.The farming elapsed time is long until you get a crop to supply to the market. Even for a simple plant you needs months . Mostly you have to make estimations for the market prices at  the beginning of the harvesting time which mostly will be quite different of what you would be thinking and planning at the beginning.

In Turkey farming industry was always full of  plentiful incentives. In the past tea , sugar beet , hazel nuts , seedless raisins , dried figs were supported financially by various establishments which INTASCO , FISKOBIRLIK, ÇAYKUR are few names that I can give you immediately as an example. But in time such institutions became overly cowded sinecures for polticians. They were badly managed and in deficiency all the time. Their main purpose of existance forgotten.

This does not mean that we have to leave alone the farmers. There must be a solution , or we must develop many new ways to keep our farmers to continue to work. We must bear in mind the adage  "it is not enough if there is not any surplus of product" Hence our aim must be to keep the market prices stable and foreseeable for the producer to prevent them to loose money and also for the consumer to adjust his budget.

A question must arise who has to take the responsability when the weather conditions are not favourable , when there is to much rain, cold , frost, floods, fires et cetera. Oil prices fluctuate daily even hourly at the stock exchange boards , while the price of our tram ticket does not change years and years. How come such stability can be established there and not in food sector?

Shortage in supply side makes the market prices double or tripple easily too which is a disaster for the consumer.

Big supermarket chains are trying to push back prices of food in order to compete with their adversaries. 

Cheap transportation, adequate storage possibilites are important. New machinaries and farming techniques are also crucial to compete. Scholars at universities, state authorities , big buyer as like supermarket chains and farmers must be in continuous collaboration for new techniques and chemistry for the uninterrupted supply of the food flow while  maintain prices affordable for the consumer and profitable for the growers.

04.09.2019

DUMMY APPROACH IN FOOD SAFETY

I am getting lots of questionnaires from my buyers almost everyday asking me details about my factory infrastructure , quality control systems , pest control , risk assesments that we have and what we do for sustainability  of our products , our approach and endevour for the continuity of the supply. Most of them are at far away countries and they will never come and come and see -namely audit me.

I do not to blame anybody for doing this but such an approach became just an eyewash and not very useful , not taking into consideration the wasted time.

As a food manufacturer we are paying large sums to Quality Management Systems and faith observance . BRC/IFS/FSSC/ISO international standards have reach to the summit of quality controls that we do not so much take care in our kitchen while cooking for ourselves and for our families -like  wearing hairnet or glows , like hand sterilization at the doorstep, hygene education , third party pest control, calibration and verification of your fridge , defining critical control points of your kitchenware. We do not have even a metal detector at home! Can you imagine ?

The scope of such quality standards became so wide that there no way to remember all the details  that you wrote against every sentance of the standard. If the expansion continue ramification in its execution will be unavoidable, different staff will do the different part of the quality controls

Most of us do not know how much time we can keep a frozen the food that we cooked. In ordinary schools cooking is not any more a lesson to be thought. As in the past we had learn sewing and mending beside cooking easy things. 

Quality management systems brought a marvellous understanding to all food processors. But mainly to those who have no any tiny knowledge of production and food safety.

Religion mongers take advantage of the situation defining to their followers what is suitable to purchase but against large sums? Namely Kosher and Halal certificates are the most famous ones  to give you examples.

Crucial points must be determined for every sector and formalities be reduced enabling everybody keep track of what it is objective behind of these efforts

AVRAM AJİ

29.08.2019

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE YOUR EIGHTIES & NINETIES

NOBODY wants to die. Everybody wants to live long and at best as like they are in their fourties or fifties but we know very well that this is not the case most of the time. Regretfully despite the new medications , diagnosis and better health care we still get older and more disabled every day.

NOWADAYS more people is living his eighties and nineties... This is good news but also this is something that we do not know on how to be prepared for it. Developments in geriatric science is great but still very insufficient.

WHEN a new baby is born his parents know very well on how to raise him properly. Good food , good education , good environment is provided as much possible. 

Every elderly person is different from one to another. Some of them run into trouble with alzheimer ,some of them become deaf, most of them slow down in fulfilling their daily activities, loose his spouse . Loneliness start to become depressive as friends start to pass away.  Lifelong savings drain away .

My aim in writing this essay is to make you think about on how one can be prepared to its aging. Or is it possible to do something as from our fifties or sixties ? All say no... But I think there must be quite a lot of things that we can do while you are still healthy and active in life.

We must bear in mind that we may need assistance from our children hence being close to them is important. Leaving the existing comfort zone and approach to where your children are is something that we can do it right away.

Psychological fatigue in time is almost unavoidable. Hence according to the need getting assistance is very important. Elderly people sometimes feel ashamed of psychological disorders and refuse any kind of external help.

Living alone after certain age is impossible. Either you have to go to an almshouse or find caretaker nurse. Both are expensive but living long is expensive!

Financing the daily life is something important per se. We lose the monetary value perception in time hence -if possible - getting advice from your children or from somebody you can rely (but still at their fifties at most) is important . Preparing a budget and make expenditures accordingly is important. Youngsters may find out much easily legal advantages that we have and public aids that we can benefit.

How to live your days is another big topic that we have to think about much earlier in life. Not everybody can work lifelong . Some are forced to retire or mental and physical state of a person may deteriorate after their sixties and retire. Hence to think about on how to have a good time we have to make an excessive effort on this matter  to improve our quality of life in our senescence period.

Avram Aji
10.07.2019

PAYING A TOLL WHILE ENTERING TO A CHURCH OR SINAGOGUE

I HAVE been travelling abroad quite often since 1980's for business. But after working hours I always take a walk around  to see places of curiosity .  How people live in different cities. What are their customs and habits. What they eat .But especially how they solved the existing sociological problems of the big cities like traffic , housing , pollution , noise , public transportation. 

To my surprise every country has different approach or resolution.

For instance in Sao Paulo the entrance and exit doors are in different sides and entrance is not allowed before all passangers get out of the metro cab. This is preventing the chaos at rush hours especially. People in a hurry forget to be nice to other.

I was in Rotterdam last week. I enjoyed to see so many people moving around with their bycicles even in a rainy weather. Amazed to see marvellous buildings made out with a big architectual concern and effort .

While walking around I came across to a marvellous cathedral at the centre of the city. But the entrance was possible with a small fee. In one corner of the temple there was a cafeteria and shop.

This not the first time that I encounter temples with toll. If you want to see the famous Sephardic marvellous sinagogue in Anvers where Spinoza was anathemized you have to pay an important amount of money to enter in. The same applies to the spectacular Cathedral in Frienze or Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. 

Obviously  these buildings must not be considered as a praying sacred spaces anymore but open air museums .Does this be understood as a betrayal to the construction ideology or for those financed for the name of God.

I have been surprised to see churches at every corner of Oxford University. During middle age churches undertook the responsability to educate citizens and their followers.

In Izmir , at the old city center there was a Jewish quarter where still 3 sinagogues is working . Another few sinagogues are now restorated by the Municipality. One can ask for what? Not obviously for the use of agonized  remaining a handful Jewish people but for its touristical attractivity. Vatican is  obviously the paramount of fascinating glamour in the world-  once for religious care but now for art and architechtual splendor.

When thinking the powerty, plagues and misery of the middle age one can ask such pompous buildings with such ornmental interiors  how could have been achived ? No wealth can rebuild a similar ones nowadays. At list its artefacts! 

Many years ago I visited once the piramids in Cairo. A colossal stokpile of stone blocks which serves for nothing made as a tomb to pharaon Ramses.

At Crete island you can visit the tomb of famous writer Kazancakis . You will be surprised to see just a rough stone and a wood  crucifix.

Avram Aji

21.06.2019

%50 POPULISM THE NEW DESEASE OF THE HUMANITY

I am reading with great interest the recent book of Steven Pinker "Enlightment" where he discussed at large the new sickness of the humanity namely the populism. It is for sure the cripple side of the actual democracy understanding . When we consider  that elections is the best way in  appointing the right persons to govern the country . We see clearly that this not working reasonably at all. 

Once you get the power you start thinking the next elections which is to satisfy only the %50 of the voters but not more and  demonising the other %50 and their supporters. 

Erdoğan , Putin , Netanyahu ,Esad ,  Kim are on stage over two decades. None of the USA president were unseated in their second elections .Hence the target of the president is to do what is necessary in 4 yeras for the %50 .

Today in Turkey the actual government is getting most of his votes from the poor and uneducated   electorate. It is not to the favour of the actual government to make his proponents rich and be educate which is a big contradiction .

It is also impossible to understand the actual situation of Venezuella which is sitting over the largest petroleum reserves. Iran puzzle -one the most ancient civilization of the world-

which is far away of USA ...

Should we have to see from the same perspective the Brexit ? Or the separation request of Catalonia or Scotland ?

It is very clear that the actual democracy understanding does not work very well in long run. 

To get the power by %50 is just serving to divide the country into two compartement as populist leaders just need to compromise to the half of the voters. 

Than we do not have to be surprised by the election of Trump neither Erdogan nor Putin. 

Avram Aji

09.06.2019

JEREMY RIFKIN & THIRD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

I just had the opportunity to watch the conference of Rifkin about the 3rd Industrial revolution.

It am a little bit confused about his appelation the actual era as 3rd Industrial while everywhere we hear Industry 4.0 - namely AI - artificial intelligence and IoT internet of things.

The most important part of the conference was the answer he gave about the fear of growing "Unemployment" issue worldwide.

There will always need of humans as a workforce. A robot can not raise a children. We will be doing things that require deep intelligence and feelings.

Social networks and social aid institutions , nonprofit organisations will finance the crowd that needs assistance . I kept thinking that we have such a huge retired community in our country and it will arrive a moment that we will not be able to pay their pension . For instance,  in my generation there are a huge amount of persons whom retired at the age of 38-43 working only 15  years . Now that they are at 65-70 , they have been getting their pension  since 30 years already .Beside the additional advantages delivered to them such a free transportation ,free health care , discounted ticketing in various museums et cetera.Is this sustainable? I hope yes ... There is no other way. Without a retirement system a society would be very cruel. The hep of family members to eldery people is or can be   limited. Not only time wise but also financially too. It is a real fact that the needs are growing when you age. More intense health care is needed with expensive medication and means . The increase of life expectancy is making more difficult to overcome financing eldery people.

The most sad part is that most of them are still capable to do many things, even the worst side of the problem is that we are unable to take advantage of their knowledge ...

Developped countries find the solution in increasing  the retiring age. "67" became common almost everywhere. But there hordes  unemployed of fifties and sixties are living among us.

Avram Aji

27.04.2019

WHOM ARE, PEOPLE FEEDING STRAY CATS AND DOGS

By taking ages I started to be more skeptical on psychological disorders. You have the option to cure normal diseases by medication or you die at worst. You may be poor or unlucky in life but still you may have still the enthusiasm for a better life. You may overcome by working hard or planning better your lifestyle of many idfficulties you encounter. You may always find a way to feel good.

But when you are disrupted with psychological disturbances you feel blue all the time. This can be even without any financial distress neither with any physiological illness.

I am noticing many people feeding stray cats and dogs on the street. Putting water pots here and there.

I am not afraid of these animals. But frankly spoken never felt any kind of compassion to them. It looks difficult to me to understand the sentiments of the people who cares them. Even it is strange to me pet owners. 

In one side you come across to many poor people ferreting around edible things in the garbage wagons.People who are in real need. 

On the other side animal lovers are ignoring those around suffering ...

It is a big contradiction. 

One type of depression is triggered by loneliness. I am always thinking that those who care so much stray animals on the street , are they comforting their bad feelings in such a way ?

Avram Aji

18.04.2019