23/10/2025
Within the Scope of the Youth Exchange Project in Ayvalık, Türkiye;
Under the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange Programme, funded by the Turkish National Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the project titled "Soil Breath Through Conscious Cultivation", focusing on "The Impact of the Climate Crisis on Agriculture", brought together 36 young participants from six different countries in Ayvalık between 2–9 October.
The project aimed to enable young people to observe firsthand the effects of climate change on agriculture, raise awareness about sustainable agricultural practices, and encourage collaboration among youth from different cultural backgrounds to develop common solutions.
In this context, an event was organized in cooperation with the Municipality of Ayvalık and the Ayvalık Directorate of Culture. Participants visited the Ayvalık Olive and Olive Oil Gallery, where they learned in detail about the history of olive cultivation in the region, production processes, and the cultural significance of olive oil in Ayvalık.
Following the visit, a traditional "olive crushing" activity was held in a specially prepared area for the participants. During this event, the young participants had the opportunity to experience the process olives undergo before reaching the table, while also gaining awareness about the importance of preserving traditional production methods.
Prof. Dr. Murat Türkeş from Boğaziçi University attended the project and delivered a presentation on the project's main topic — the effects of the climate crisis on agriculture. Afterwards, a question-and-answer session took place between the professor and the participants.
Throughout the project, participants engaged in workshops, field visits, and expert talks, exploring the impacts of the climate crisis on agriculture from multiple perspectives and increasing their awareness. As a final activity, participants were divided into four groups and assigned different topics related to the main theme to hold a debate session. The winning teams advanced to the final round with new topics. The jury for the debate included representatives from the Ayvalık TEMA Foundation.
The participants who successfully completed all project activities were awarded the Erasmus+ Youthpass Certificate in recognition of their active involvement and learning achievements throughout the project.