There are various challenges in the hazelnuts production such as the low productivity, small farms, lack of mechanization, social issues and risk of child labour during the harvest in Turkey, as well as lack of attention to the environment and the preservation of biodiversity. 

The program Rainforest Alliance / UTZ is supporting farmers to improve their practices and become more sustainable by training them to good agricultural practices, environmentally-friendly measures, and better labour conditions for the migrant workers. The risk of child labour is especially seriously tackled by the implementation of Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems in order to identify the existing risks and ensure for any case, an action plan is implemented.

Modern farming has negative impacts on the environment and especially on biodiversity and pollinators due to the use of pesticides or the homogenization of landscape, among other factors… To produce almonds, honeybees and other pollinators play a key role, foraging from almond flowers and spreading pollen to ensure flowers can develop into almonds. Therefore ensuring that farming practices preserve pollinators is key for the future of almond production, but also for our overall food safety . 

Bee Friendly has been created by European beekeepers in this attempt. The association supports farmers to implement farming practices that are more favorable to the local biodiversity and especially protect bees and other pollinators. Farmers who respect the certification’s specifications and show continuous improvement year after year can be Bee Friendly certified.