BAY LEAF (Laurus Nobilis)

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DETAILED REPORT OF THE SELECTED NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCT; BAY LEAF (Laurus nobilis)

31 August 2020, Edited Draft

CONTENTS FOREWORD ...... 4 METHODOLOGY ...... 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 6 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...... 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 9 1. CHAPTER 1: Introduction ...... 10 1.1. Distribution of Laurus nobilis ...... 10 1.2. Botanical and Ecological Features ...... 10 1.3. Official Statistics of Bay leaves in Turkey ...... 12 2. CHAPTER II Economical Value, Usages and Trade ...... 13 2.1. Economical Value ...... 13 2.2. Areas of Usage ...... 14 2.3. Contribution to Rural Development focusing on Youth and Women ...... 14 2.4. Trade ...... 15 3. CHAPTER III: Specific Sectoral Policies ...... 16 3.1. Communique on NWFPs ...... 16 3.2. Action Plans ...... 17 3.3. Technical Guidelines ...... 17 3.4. Utilization Plans ...... 18 3.5. Standards ...... 18 3.6. Agriculture Forest Council Resolutions ...... 19 3.7. Inventory Procedures ...... 19 3.8. Production Procedures ...... 19 3.9. Sale Procedures ...... 20 4. CHAPTER IV: ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE ...... 21 4.1. Other Stakeholders ...... 22 5. CHAPTER V: CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 23 5.1. Diseases in Bay leaves Forests in Turkey ...... 23 5.2 Recommendatıons...... 24 REFERENCES ...... 26

TABLES

Table 1 Area of Bay Trees and Production of Bay Leaf in 2019 ...... 12 Table 2. Top 5 NWFPs with their total values in 2019 ...... 13 Table 3. Top 5 most exported NWFPs ...... 13 Table 4 Bay Leaves Export top ten countries ...... 15 Table 5 Countries which has been imported bay leaf in 2019 ...... 16 Table 6. A Typical Value Chain for a NWFP ...... 22

FIGURES

Figure 1. Distribution of Laurus nobilis in Turkey (GDF, 2020)...... 10 Figure 2. Turkey's Bay Leaf Production ...... 17 Figure 3 Structure of DNWFPS ...... 21

PICTURES

Picture 1. Bay Leaves Illustrated ...... 11 Picture 2 Trioza alacris © László Érsek: oviposition ...... 23 Picture 3. Archips rosanus ...... 24

FOREWORD A Letter of Agreement (LoA) was signed between Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Chamber of Forest Engineers of Turkey (CFE) for "Provision of Technical Guidelines on sustainable management of NWFPs and the Status Reports on specific selected products” on 20 December 2019.

According to this LoA, the Service Provider undertook the following activities:

1. Identify, select and showcase Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) that have economic impact on rural and national economies and environmental importance in the sense of biodiversity. 2. Review the existing national policies and action plans related to specific NWFPs in Turkey and provide recommendations to strengthen governance. 3. Analyze and map out the selected NWFPs taking into account the potential impact on rural workforce, in particular women and youth. 4. Conduct consultation meetings on the findings of the review with relevant stakeholders (local, national and private) to enhance their inputs. 5. Prepare guidelines on sustainable management, production and marketing of NWFPs in line with international standards and market requirements. 6. Prepare Status Update Reports on the selected NWFPs along with recommendation in the value chain. 7. Consolidate the findings with other ongoing projects in REU or Mediterranean Region.

In this context, a preparatory meeting was held on 15 January 2020 with the presence of relevant people from the General Directorate of Forestry of Turkey (GDF) and CFE. A working group was established to carry out the necessary studies. This working group selected chestnut, bay leaves, pine honey, resin and truffle as the NWFPs to work in detail due to their importance of "economic value, contribution to biodiversity and the potential impact on rural workforce, in particular women and youth" as stated in the LoA.

After several meetings and examining case studies, this report entitled “DETAILED REPORT OF THE SELECTED NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCT; BAY LEAF (Laurus nobilis)” was prepared. It gives general information about truffle as one of the most important NWFPs in Turkey. It contains six main chapters namely i) introduction, ii) economical value and usage, iii) specific sectoral policies, iv) administrative structure, v) challenges and recommendations, iv) conclusions and additional sections as annexes and references.

As of 31st of August, 2020, the Chamber of Forest Engineers officially submitted the “Edited Draft Report” to FAO for review.

METHODOLOGY This report gives information about the bay leaf (Laurus nobilis). While preparing this report, the following issues and case studies have been taken into consideration:

1. Opinions and contributions of CFE, GDF and FAO Experts, 2. Turkey's current legislation and practices, 3. FAO's web page on non-wood forest products1 4. Other publications on the subject, especially the publication "Non ‐ Wood Forest Products in International Statistical Systems"2 5. Web pages of completed or ongoing projects, and publications and reports produced within this framework: a. INCREDIBLE3 b. StarTree4

The GDF as a corporate body under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) is responsible for sustainable forest management activities including NWFPs. GDF has center and regional departments. At the center level it operates with 21 Departments, which one of them is the DNWFPS.

The preparation of this report has been done in close cooperation with DNWFPS. All the data collected are approved by this department. The official correspondences with other institutes like Turkish Standards Institution, Ministry of Trade and other have been executed through this department starting from December 2019.

There are different terminologies and definitions used for NWFPs. Considering this current situation, a scheme has been created for this report by as shown in relevant section. In this scheme NWFPs are divided into four groups according to their origin/sources, product type, usage and sales.

1 http://www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/en/ 2 http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6731e.pdf, 3 -https://www.incredibleforest.net/ 4 https://star-tree.eu/ 5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DETAILED REPORT OF THE SELECTED NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCT; BAY LEAF (Laurus nobilis) was prepared by the team of CFE consultants working in close collaboration with respective institutions and local stakeholders. The team is grateful for the contributions and support provided by the FAO under the LoA. The team also acknowledges the cooperation of the General Directorate of Forestry, particularly Department of Non-Wood Forest Products and Services (DNWFPS) staff that provided information and contributed with feedback to the draft report.

Galip Çağtay Tufanoğlu, Deputy Head of DNWFPS

Hasan Türkyılmaz, President, Chamber of Forest Engineers

Hüseyin Fakir, Prof., Deputy Rector, Isparta University of Applied Sciences

Ildiko Buglyo, FAO

İsmail Belen, Senior Agriculture and Forestry Expert, MAF

Kitti Horvath, FAO

Norbert Winkler, FAO

Omer Naci Kaya, Chief Inspector, GDF

Özgür Balcı, Head of DNWFPS,

Özlem Dostbil, PhD, DNWFPS

Pınar Topçu, Agricultural Engineer

Shiroma Sathyapala, FAO

Sven Walter, FAO

Tarık Durmuş, MS, Forest Engineer, DNWFPS

Zafer Filiz, Director of Crop Production, DNWFPS

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

CFE/OMO Chamber of Forest Engineers of Turkey

Communiqué of NWFPs Communiqué on Inventory and Planning of NWFPs and Production and Sales Principles

DBM Department Business and Marketing of GDF

DNWFPS Department of Non-Wood Forest Products and Services of GDF

ENDP Eleventh National Development Plan (2019-2023) of Turkey

EuroStat European Statistical Office

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

FRA 2020 Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020

GDF General Directorate of Forestry of Turkey

GTIP Customs Tariff Statistics Position. ha hectare(s)

INCREDIBLE Project Innovation Networks of Cork, Resins and Edibles in the Mediterranean Basin Project

KOSGEB Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization of Turkey

LoA Letter of Agreement

MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey

MT Ministry of Trade of Turkey

NWFP Non-Wood Forest Product

StarTree A pan-European project to support the sustainable exploitation of forest resources for rural development.

TAB Turkish Association of Beekeepers

TKDK Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution

TL Turkish Lira

TSE Turkish Standards Institution

TUIK Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat)

UN United Nations

UNDP United Nations Development Programe

USD United States Dollar

USD/TL Rate According to the average dollar rate in 2019 by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey which was 5,68 TL.)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In addition to environmental and ecosystem contributions such as conservation of biological diversity, food security, combating climate change, sustainable water and land management, ecosystem services, forests are also home to economically important products.

The forest and tree products are classified as wood products, non-wood products and forest services. FAO defines non-wood forest products (NWFPs) as “goods derived from forests that are tangible and physical objects of biological origin other than wood” (FAO,2020). NWFPs provide food, income, and nutritional diversity for an estimated one in five people around the world, notably women, children, landless farmers and others in vulnerable situations. (FAO, 2018).

NWFPs have also attracted considerable global interest in recent years due to the increasing recognition of their contribution to environmental objectives, including the conservation of biological diversity. Like many other countries Turkey gives great importance to NWFPs by making the necessary legislative and administrative arrangements. Article 45 of the Constitution includes the provision of “increasing the vegetative and animal production, evaluating the vegetal and animal products and taking the necessary measures for the real values to be obtained by the producer (Anonymous, 2020a). In many articles of the Forest Law No. 6831, there are issues regarding the evaluation of forest products and non-wood forest products.

As a reflection of the importance given to the subject by Turkey, the Department of Non-Wood Products and Services (DNWFPS) was established as the central unit of the General Directorate of Forestry (GDF) in 2011. The DNWFPS is responsible to determine, carry out or make works related to the inventory, value assessment, diagnosis, promotion, planning, mapping, project design, production and marketing of NWFPs and forest ecosystem services (Anonymous, 2018).

This report titled " DETAILED REPORT OF THE SELECTED NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCT; BAY LEAF (Laurus nobilis) " has been prepared in close cooperation with DNWFPS. The aim of the report is to asses the NWFPs exist in Turkey and managed by the GDF. In this context, issues such as NWFPs definition, official list, inventory, collection, sale, economic value and contribution to the national economy were examined.

1. CHAPTER 1: Introduction

1.1. Distribution of Laurus nobilis The bay trees spread throughout the entire coastline of Anatolia, starting from Hatay to the Northeastern Black Sea and can be found at an altitude of 0–1200 m up to the inner regions in proportion to the temperate climate.

Bay trees are a pyramidal-shaped tree or large shrub-form plant belonging to the genus Laurus of the Lauraceae family. Bay trees Asian homeland, mainly in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Yugoslavia, Syria, Morocco, Algeria, the Mediterranean islands, California, Mexico and the Canary Islands are widely available.

In Europe, only the genus Laurus and two species belonging to this genus (L. nobilis and L. azorica) are naturally present. L. nobilis population is always seen in warmer climates and more humid microclimates where there is high rainfall. L. azorica is found in the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Azores and also in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. L. nobilis are typical small trees that grow on the Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea coasts and inland parts of these coasts, especially on the Mediterranean coast.

Figure 1. Distribution of Laurus nobilis in Turkey (GDF, 2020)

1.2. Botanical and Ecological Features Bay trees are “maquis shrubland5” plant, remaining evergreen, 2-10 m long, round-crowned, frequently branched, dioic small tree or shrub. The roots of the plant develop very well and go deep.

5 The term “Maquis shrubland” refers to plant formations made of shrubs and small trees (maximum 4-5 metres), generally evergreen, sometimes scented, which create a thick and intricate vegetation, with a very variable floristic composition based on the type of substrate, the climatic and topographic factors and human activities. However, the Maquis shrubland is typical of the regions surrounding the Mediterranean basin, characterized by temperate-humid winters and hot and dry summers. It usually has a high floristic biodiversity: the arboreal layer consists mainly of holm oaks, associated with other deciduous plants (Downy Oak, Terebinth, Judas Tree, Manna Ash and so on), while there

The tree has an uncluttered appearance as the branches exit from the trunk in a narrow angle and rise parallel to the trunk. The Bay trees have the ability to exile plenty of roots and stems. The bark is dark grey, close to black in colour and smooth. Fresh shoots are green, then reddish black in color and hairless. Its leaves are narrow elliptic in structure 5-10 cm long, 2-3 cm wide with simple skinish edges wavy and short stalks, tapering towards both ends. Its upper face is bright dark green. The leaves have a short and thick stem (Düzenli and Karaömerlioğlu 2012).

Picture 1. Bay Leaves Illustrated

March-May is the blooming season varies according to regions. The male flowers are darker yellow in appearance, more abundant and cluster, while the female flowers are light yellow in color, which escapes to light green, and are sparser on the branch. Bay trees is dioic and the male and female flowers are found in separate trees. It has the ability exile strong root and logs (Kavaklı 2012). Its fruits are in the form of olive seeds, it is green at first and turns dark purple or black when it ripens.

Bay trees fruits are 2-3 cm long, 1-1,5 cm in diameter, oval-shaped single-seeded. Its fruits are very rich in terms of fixed oil content (25-30%). Fruits contain more oil than their leaves. Fruits ripen in late September and October and become bright bluish black.

Bay leaves contain 1-3% essential oil. This essential oil contains mainly 1.8 cineol and pinene, terpen, sesquiterpen, methyl eugenol and to a lesser extent alpha and beta pinene, phellandren, linalool, geraniol and terpineol components. The aroma and taste of bay leaves are largely due to phenol called are many shrub species (Phyllirea, Myrtle, the Strawberry Tree, Laurel, Viburnum, Rhamnus alaternus, Pistacia lentiscus, Cistus, different brooms and so on). https://www.parconazionaledelvesuvio.it/en/biodiversity/maquis-shrubland-and-the-woods/

11 eugenol. The leaves contain 0.5-2% fragrant essential oil (Oleum Lauri). It also contains saturated fatty acids, tannins, mucilage. 100 g of spices contain: 313 kcal energy, 5.4 g water, 7.6 g protein, 8.4 g fat, 75 g carbs, 26.3 g fiber, 3.6 g ash, 834 mg Ca, 43 mg Fe, 120 mg Mg, 113 mg P, 529 mg K, 23 mg Na, 4 mg Zn, 2 mg niacin, 6185 IU vitamin A (Sangun and et al., 2007).

Bay trees like places where the winter is temperate and the summers are hot, and although the soil request is not too much, it prefers water beds with enough moisture. It is also observed on the arid southern slopes, where there is no seepage water or moist stream environment but is open to marine effect. The cluster forms groups mostly under other types of maki and red pine.

Soil structure is slime, sandy loam, loamy sand, sandy clay loam, clay loam, clay, soil pH is between 6.70-7.96. It is known that the Bay trees love calcareous, humus and cool soils. The average temperature of the areas where it grows rarely drops below zero and the annual precipitation amount ranges between 600-2000 mm. Its vertical spread begins at sea level, 1000 in the south, and can go up to even 1100 m. (Özel, 2006). The most important factor affecting bay trees spread is soil and air humidity. They generally been observed to grow at the edge of streams, places where the base water is high, or at altitudes open to the humid winds of the sea.

1.3. Official Statistics of Bay leaves in Turkey The official statistics about bay leaves can be found on Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) and GDF database. GDF database includes the utilization amount and volume and the area harvested by cities and regional directorates. TUIK database on bay leaves contains the amount and value of import and export including the countries that took place in bay leaves trade with Turkey.

According to the General Directorate of Forestry, Turkey has a total area of 180 400 hectares bay in whole coutry as of 2019. The total amount of bay leaf production was 32 600 tonn in 2019.

Table 1 Area of Bay Trees and Production of Bay Leaf in 2019

No Regional Directorate Area (ha) 2019 Annual of Forestry Production (tonnes) 1 Adana 7.941 1.850 2 Amasya 2.254 500 3 Antalya 21.367 1.220 4 Balıkesir 3.530 364 5 Bolu 153 64 6 Bursa 16.678 4.050 7 Çanakkale 1.452 0 8 Isparta 471 42 9 İstanbul 6.603 910 10 İzmir 15.406 40 11 Kahramanmaraş 20.744 1.590 12 Kastamonu 5.660 800 13 Mersin 23.092 1.160 14 Muğla 15.771 490 15 Sakarya 12.102 5.420 16 Zonguldak 27.176 14.100 Total 180.400 32.600

2. CHAPTER II Economical Value, Usages and Trade 2.1. Economical Value

NWFPs play an important role in Turkey's rural and national economy. As of the end of 2019, an inventory study was conducted for 250 different taxa reaching 2 022 607 hectares (ha) areas in state- owned forests. "Utilization Plans" of these NWFPs were prepared for a total of 1.7 million ha. (DNWFPS, 2019)

The total amount of marketed NWFPs in Turkey for 2019 was calculated about 880 million USD.

Bay leaves and its products are used in many fields such as food, medicine, cosmetics, chemistry, domestic and foreign trade increases every year. Turkey is one of the the most advantageous country in the world in terms of meeting the growing demand and has high potential to supply bay leaves.

Currently, Turkey is the most important world producer and seller of dried bay leaves. However, in recent years, Georgia has become an important producer country due to its low production costs. In recent years, it is observed that bay leaves import tends to increase. In order to maintain Turkey’s leading position in the growing bay market and not to lose the market to other countries, production costs are subject to be reduced and quality bay leaves harvesting is a necessity.

The contribution of bay leaf to Turkey’s national economy was calculated 264 084 507 USD in 2019. Turkey has totally exported approximately 13 600 tons and has the export volume around 38 million USD.

Table 2. Top 5 NWFPs with their total values in 2019

Latin Name Contribution to national No English Name economy-USD 1 Bay tree Laurus nobilis 264 084 507 2 Chestnut Castanea sativa 176 056 338 3 Thyme Origanum onites 140 845 070 4 Pine nut Pinus pinea 88 028 169 5 Mushrooms + 35 211 268 As shown in Table 3, export quantity and value of most NWPFs are relatively high and Turkey is one of the main producers of some NWFPs, such as laural leaf. Laural, chestnut and thyme production and export has already significantly increased in recent years (Korkmaz and Duman 2019).

Table 3. Top 5 most exported NWFPs

No Latin Name of the NWFP Export Quantity (Ton) Export Value-USD

1 Laurus nobilis 13.600 38 234 826

2 Castanea sativa 14.225 35 837 736

3 Origanum onites 16.830 57 247 281

4 Pinus pinea 516 26 946 250

5 Mushrooms 1.716 12 843 337

2.2. Areas of Usage Bay leaves market is a growing market. Among the main factors driving the growth of the market are the growing demand for culinary use and the spread of awareness on health benefits in the Asia-Pacific and Mediterranean regions. Rapidly growing consumption is due to the use of the Bay leaves in the food and beverage industry, cosmetics markets, mainly health care products.

Bay leaves are used in in the products such as shampoo, soap and medicine obtained by bay leave’s oil in the cosmetics industry. It is also used in homes such as bay leaves tea and water.

The bay leaves have a wide use in the perfumery, soap, food, medicine and polish, and in the chemical industry. It is used in soap making due to its essential oils and high lauric acid. Widely used in French cuisine, especially in meat (fish, white, red etc.), roasts, meatballs, sauces, spice mixtures etc. Since bay leaves prevent spoilage, they are used in the packaging of dried fruits. It is especially used as a preservative in the food industry. It prevents worms and insects by putting it in dry foods such as beans, lentils, chickpeas and rice. The protective effect comes from 1.8 cineol and eugenol derivatives. In addition, leaf essential oil and oleoresin are used in perfumery.

2.3. Contribution to Rural Development focusing on Youth and Women Bay leaves have a great potential in Turkey that could generate higher income than classical forest raw products and substaintially contribute local and national economy. For insantance, there are 174 villages in Isparta provinces located in the Mediterranean Region and out them 162 villages are forest villages6 in accordance with Forest Law. These villages are working and benefiting from the good and services provided by forests.

Another example is that bay trees cover 40% of the forest area in Hatay province and bay leaves sector provide employment opportunities for 7.500 people either working with facilities or village cooperative.

An example of women involvement to bay tree production can be give as follow. The “Vakıflı” village of Hatay province established a cooperative namely "Vakıflı Village Cooperative" in 2004. In 2005, under the umberalla of this Cooperative 5 women found “the Women's Branch”. Today 27 women work in the women's branch of the cooperative and they sell jam, bay leaves soap, fruit juice, Bay leaves oil, pomegranate syrup and 17 kinds of liqueur that they produce in their homes, in the garden of the church in the village, in the branches in Istanbul. While 80% of the income from the products sold is contributed the producer, 20% is contributed to the cooperative.

Bay leaves are important products for the livelihood improvement. Yet, trainings and support are needed to villagers on issues such as collection, storage, packaging and marketing of these products; exporting processed materials instead of raw materials.

Considering its contribution, GDF has been making a lot of efforts in the respective regions, enhancing sustainable use of bay leaves areas and support to establishment of facilities for processing bay leaves.

6 The term “forest villagers" is a specific term used in Turkey. Turkey’s rural inhabitants can be classified into two groups, namely forest villagers and other villagers. Forest villagers are also divided based on the location of the villages: located inside forests or those near/adjoining forests. They are also classified on the basis of whether or not production is performed in forests within village boundaries, under Articles 31 and 32 of the Forest Law No. 6831. This classification also plays a determining role in terms of the products generated from forests and subsidies provided.

It is expected to increase quality and quantity of bay leaves production including processing and packing, generate high income and employement at local and sub-regional level.

2.4. Trade The trade of bay leaves and oils is organized under different groups in international trade databases. In Turkey, bay leaf is being trade under the Customs Tariff Statistics Position7 (GTIP) numbered “091099”. This GTIP code covers “ginger, saffron, turmeric (curcuma), thyme, bay leaves, curry and other spices" group, which includes some other spices in the trade classification, and is specifically coded as "091099500000".

Bay oil is also under the group of "151590 - Other vegetable fixed oils", "151590400000002 - Bay oil, crude oils, those used for technical and industrial purposes, 151590510000002 - Bay oil, others, net weight 1 kg in solid form or 151590590000002 - Bay leaves oil, solid oils, packaged in other forms, fluid, 151590600000002 - Bay oil, crude oils, those used for technical and industrial purposes, 151590910000002 - Bay leaves oil, packaged in solid forms, other forms, fluid ”groups.

Turkey is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of medicinal and aromatic plants. Of about 12,000 or so plants that grow naturally in the flora of Turkey, 3,750 are endemic.

The medicinal and aromatic value of hundreds of plant species grown naturally in Turkey, especially Endemics, is very high in Turkey, about 500 plant species are used in the context of traditional medical practices. However, the number of those traded is about 350, of which 140 are exported.

Some of the medicinal and aromatic plants traded in Turkey are collected from nature and some are produced by cultivation. Sage, juniper, rosemary, çevven, bay leaves, linden, nettle, cantarone, carabashot, rosehip, mahlep, licorice, myrtle, ogul grass, daisy, orchids, sumac, tarragon and wild thyme and some bulbous, tuberous and rhizome plants are important plants collected from nature.

Some of the cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants are thyme, sage, oregano, mint, fennel, chamomile, rosemary, anise, dill, echinacea, garlic, cumin, mustard, pickles, capers, flax, red pepper, coriander, lavender, saffron, sesame seeds, and oil rose.

With regard to bay leaves, Turkey has totally exported approxmitaly 13 600 tons and has the export valume around 38million USD.

The top ten countries which Turkey exported are provided in Table 4.

Table 4 Bay Leaves Export top ten countries

Countries Export (Kg) USD Vietnam 4.114.736 8.043.513 China 1.162.810 2.009.363

7 GTIP stands for Customs Tariff Statistics Position. All over the world, the basis of the tariff scale of each country is the Harmonized System Nomenclature (AS). Nomankaltur means systematic numbering or naming of all products subject to international trade according to international rules and interpretations.

The Harmonized System, consisting of 6-digit codes, constitutes a universal basis for international trade statistics and the country’s tariffs. The Harmonized System, whose official name is Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding Systems, is an international commercial classification system used for all goods subject to international trade. All traded products in the Harmonized System are classified within a certain logic and systematic framework. https://normastandart.com.tr/en/ 15

USA 744.930 2.500.885 Eagen Free Zone 643.330 4.721.279 Brazil 591.830 1.329.489 Germany 379.359 1.504.184 Senegal 354.850 821.212 UAE 330.525 660.294 Poland 323.636 1.796.497 Georgia 260.970 451.538

On the other hand, Turkey has imported around 300.000 kg bay leaves mostly from Vietnam and Syria as shown in Table 5.

Table 5 Countries which has been imported bay leaf in 2019

Countries Import (Kg) Import (USD) Vietnam 132.500 275.631 Syria 122.330 20.422 Georgia 21.350 31.422 Poland 8.940 84.124 Spain 6.600 15.700 UAE 1.473 2.169 Germany 775 2.545 Netherland 344 507 TOPLAM 294.312 432.520

3. CHAPTER III: Specific Sectoral Policies 3.1. Communique on NWFPs The most recent, comprehensive, political and technical guideline used by GDF with aim of enhancing sustainable utilization of NWFPs is Communiqué Numbered 302 on “Inventory and Planning of Non- Wood Forest Products and Production and Sales Principles”, was put into practice in 2016. It consists of nine section as detailed below.

• Part 1: Purpose, Scope, Basis and Definitions • Part 2: Inventory and Planning of Non-Wood Forest Products • Part 3: Production Procedures and Principles of Non-Wood Forest Products • Part 4: Sales Procedures and Principles of Non-Wood Forest Products • Part 5: Programming of Production and Sales of Non-Wood Forest Products • Part 6: Production and Sales Techniques of Some Non-Wood Forest Products • Part 7: Principles of Collection of Production Residues and Plant Materials Harmful to the Forest • Part 8: Repealed Provisions, Enforcement of this Communiqué -Circular • Part 9: Attachments-Annexes of the Communiqué

Relevant sections of Communiqué are elaborated in production and sales procedures.

3.2. Action Plans The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the General Directorate of Forestry prepared the Bay Leaves Action Plan8 covering the years 2016-2020. The purpose of the plan is to contribute a sustianable use of the bay leaves and seeds from natual spread areas, to reduce the value losts in production, to reduce the production costs, to spread the use of bay leaves products in the country, and to increase the income of forest villagers.

In this context, the rehabilitation, protection and maintenance of the areas that can produce high quality bay leaves on a national scale, the development of seed bay areas where the increasing need for fixed oil can be met, the development of transportation and machine working opportunities in the bay areas, training of resource managers, collectors and stakeholders, and promotion of internal consumption opportunities are planned.

With this “Bay Leaves Action Plan” 1250 ha area rehabilitation, 160 km road network, inventory and protection of 100 ha seed collection areas and training of 5000 people are targeted.

Thorugh rehabilitation of bay leaves areas, the production has increased from 3,500 tons in 2003 to 32,600 tons in 2019. Its contribution to the country's economy is $ 300 million. According to the 2023- 2030 projection of the Ministry, it is aimed to increase the bay leaves production to 150.000 tons and its contribution to the country's economy to 1 billion dollars.

Figure 2. Turkey's Bay Leaf Production

Bay Leaf Production and Goal for 2030 ton/year 150.000

32.600

3.500

2003 2019 2030-Projection

3.3. Technical Guidelines Bay leaves production is carried out in accordance with the provisions of communiqué No. 302 on Inventory and Planning of Non-Wood Forest Products and Principles of Production and Sales.

The majority of bay leaf is collected from state-owned forest lands by forest villagers, and few by private landowners. After the bay leaf cutting process, the branches are straightened and carefully turned into decks. While cutting is done during the bay cutting process, the cut shoots are collected and tied. After the fastening process, the transfer to the scale begins. The bay leaves collected by the forest villager reaches the drying facility in three different ways through the agent / trader, through the cooperative and individually.

8 https://www.ogm.gov.tr/ekutuphane/Yayinlar/Defne_Eylem_Plani.pdf 17

After the bay leaf is loaded on the vehicles, it is delivered to the facility. In drying / processing facilities, respectively; Loading operations are carried out in order to unload the bay leaves from the vehicle, put it in the oven, sort it in front of the fan, whisk the bay branch on the counter, turn it into flour, send it to the companies to export it or send it directly to the companies to export it. The leaves on the branches that come out without drying are subjected to rough sorting process by taking into account the quality.

3.4. Utilization Plans Utilization plans are prepared in line with national forestry plan, national / regional development plans and strategic plan of General Directorate of Forestry. All kinds of actions to be taken in terms of NWFPs management both in the state forests and private forests are realized based on inventory works and available data. Inventory is carried out in accordance with the principles of this communiqué by forestry and forest products offices and companies established in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 5531 Law No. 5531 entitled “The Law on Forest Engineers, Forest Industrial Engineers and Woodworking Industrial Engineers “with Planning Committees9.

3.5. Standards The Turkish Stndard Institution (TSE)10 , the sole authorized body for standardization in Turkey, operates in diverse fields of the quality infrastructure that includes certification, testing, training as well as surveillance and inspection activities.

The consumer forms determined by the companies that export dry bay leaves in Turkey are as follows: • Hand Pick: Sorting and grading is done manually, length is 4 - 7 cm and applied for special orders. • Hand Select: leaf extraction is done by hand, color is not lost and applied for leaves that are not eaten by insect. • Semi Select: in the banded carrier machine, the Bay leaves litter is cleaned, degraded and diseased leaves are removed, the size is not important. • FAQ: Bad quality products that do not comply with other quality classes are pressed and sacked. • Ground Leaf: It covers ground dried bay leaves produced for spice purposes.

9 Law No. 5531 entitled “The Law on Forest Engineers, Forest Industrial Engineers and Woodworking Industrial Engineers.” dated July 8, 2006 has been published in Turkish Official Gazette. https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2006/07/20060708-2.htm. According to Law Numbered 5531, CFE is the legal representative of three different professional groups as follows: Forest Engineers, Forest Industrial Engineers, and Woodworking Industrial Engineers. 10 Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) is a public institution founded with the Law no: 132 which was adopted on 18 November 1960 and having legal entity with exclusive competence, managed according to special law provisions. TSE, the sole authorized body for standardization in Turkey, operates in diverse fields of the quality infrastructure that includes certification, testing, training as well as surveillance and inspection activities. TSE is an active member of the world standardization community; with its full membership of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) since 1956, Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries (SMIIC) since 2010, European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) since 2012. https://en.tse.org.tr/ 18

In this regard TS 101711 comprises bay lead and TS 520512 specifies the laurel oil which are extracted from laurel leaves and seeds

3.6. Agriculture Forest Council Resolutions In order to determine the objectives, target and priorities of Agriculture and Forestry Sector, a specific legislation of the Agriculture Forest Council entered into force after it was published in the Official Gazette dated 17.05.2019 and numbered 30777.

The purpose of the legislation is to guide the Agriculture and Forest Council in the determination of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s short, medium- and long-term strategies in close cooperation with other sectors as well as enhance a comprehensive and intense participation of public. Based on the efforts made by the Agriculture and Forest Council, an action plan covers the next five year, which would be shed light on next 25 years, and final declaration was announced. Among NWFP is placed in final declaration as “Diversifying non-wood forest products and promoting agricultural forestry in order to increase the income levels of forest villagers”.

3.7. Inventory Procedures Utilization plans are prepared in line with national forestry plan, national / regional development plans and strategic plan of General Directorate of Forestry. All kinds of actions to be taken in terms of NWFPs management both in the state forests and private forests are realized based on inventory works and available data. Inventory is carried out in accordance with the principles of this communiqué by forestry and forest products offices and companies established in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 5531 with Planning Committees.

It is essential to know where and when the targeted NWFPs can be found in terms. Prior to field studies, in order to determine the extent of traditional knowledge and potential locations, literature and resource researches are reviewed, surveys and interviews are conducted with respective stakeholders. Based on the data obtained from the literature and interviews, sketches of the areas where targeted NWFPs could be found are identified. The identified locations overlap with the forest stand map to find out the division, partition and stand spread. Areal data collected through field studies and great amount of information including e, density, vitality, companion types, locality are noted for next yield inventory and planning studies. According to the sampling method envisaged in accordance with the data obtained, the size and number of the sample areas are determined and the locations to be sampled are marked on the map.

3.8. Production Procedures Production works in state forests are required by the provisions of article 18 of the General Directorate of Forestry Revolving Funds Regulation; a) Unit price (Vahidi price) b) Tenders.

Production works are carried out with regard to the non-wood products management plan that takes into account the management and silviculture plans that have already exist. The production of non- wood forest products, which are included in the annual production program with a revolving capital

11 TS 1017- https://intweb.tse.org.tr/Standard/Standard/Standard.aspx?0811180511151080511041191101040550471051 02120088111043113104073086097077104080043119114090074100

12 TS 5205- https://intweb.tse.org.tr/Standard/Standard/Standard.aspx?0811180511151080511041191101040550471051 02120088111043113104073099075114121104057043052083100069 19 budget such as resin, sweetgum oil, kindling and boxwood, are made by the administration through unit price method or Tender.

In cases where the cooperatives and villagers around the area do not have a sufficient workforce or are not competent to work, or they demand excessive prices or create disputes that cannot be resolved regarding the distribution or execution of the work; It is constructed by cooperatives or villager that are not around the workplace. The specification will be prepared when starting production and the specification, production area, time, technique and special conditions are specified. Specific guides related to chestnut tree’s products are as follow:

• Leaves and fruits are collected by hand, and shells are collected using appropriate cutting tools. • • The production will be done in the autumn months, when the fruits are in maturity period. Production will start in September and will be completed by the end of October. • • Fruits will be picked by climbing a tree. One of the main reasons for the spread of chestnut branch cancer to healthy individuals is the method of dropping the fruits by hitting them with sticks. This method will never be used. • • The fruits separated from the thorn and peels are laid in places suitable for drying and mixed from time to time. Dried chestnuts are stored in damp places.

3.9. Sale Procedures Non-wood products, which are included in the annual production program, can be put up for auction sales from the last warehouse or ramp by producing by means of price or commitment by the Administration, or the production workmanship may be subject to auction sales, which belongs to the customer.

Auction sales, where the production workmanship belongs to the customer; It is the sales method where the administration does not make production costs, the time is used efficiently, the value losses are reduced and the marketing guarantee of the product is provided. This sale method should be preferred because it provides a guarantee of production and sales. Unless compulsory, non-wood forest products should not be subject to auction sales from the last warehouse or ramp after being produced by price method or commitment.

Auction sales are made within the scope of the 30th article of the Forest Law with the appropriate outstanding price to be determined within the framework of the principles set out in Article 4 of the Regulation on the Sales Procedures and Principles of Forest Products.

Non-wood products, which are not included in the 12-year production program, are collected within the scope of the 37th article of the Forest Law or the Annex-12 article of the Forest Law and subject to sale at the price of the tariff.

If non-wood products that cannot be sold in the auction sales tender are subject to sales until the next tender, such as degradation or loss of value, the product can be sold with the same outstanding price and sales conditions and the bargaining method.

Most of the time, considering that the non-wood product sales prices are not high, it should be preferred to make the sales transactions in advance. The collection of the sales price and all other taxes such as sales, taxes, funds, maturity, interest as well as temporary and final guarantees can be made with any bank and product cards deemed appropriate by the General Directorate.

In order to meet the demands of the customers for a long time and to increase the competitiveness and efficiency in the foreign markets, sales can also be carried out annually, with the auction sales

20 method, the production workmanship of the products belonging to the customer, taking into account the non-wood product management plans in force.

Principles regarding how and how to make tenders and sales in electronic environment are determined by the General Directorate. The leafy shoots that are subject to the scales are separated from their branches and baled in bundles after they are cleaned from foreign substances, and the products such as flowers, fruits, leaves, roots and onions, which are subject to the scales, will be weighed and weighed on the basis of sale and are considered as wet for sale. It will be held.

If there is no weighing possibility, the products will be transported to the weighing areas with a shipping compass and sales and delivery works will be completed at the weighing location. The amounts obtained from the sale of non-wood products are recorded as income in the relevant account of the Revolving Funds Budget.

4. CHAPTER IV: ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE NWFPs have also attracted considerable global interest in recent years due to the increasing recognition of their contribution to environmental objectives, including the conservation of biological diversity. Like many other countries Turkey gives great importance to NWFPs by making the necessary legislative and administrative arrangements. As one of the reflections of the importance given to the subject by Turkey, the Department of Non-Wood Forest Products and Services (DNWFPS) was established as the central unit of the GDF in 2011. The DNWFPS is responsible to determine, carry out or make works related to the inventory, value assessment, diagnosis, promotion, planning, mapping, project design, production and marketing of NWFPs and forest ecosystem services. (Anonymous, 2018). (Presidential Decree on Institutions Affiliated to Ministries., 2020)

Figure 3 Structure of DNWFPS

Head of Department

Deputy Head

Inventory Forest Animal Ecosystem Recretaiona Plant and Biological Ecoturism Products Services l Areas Products Planning Diverssity

The GDF Extensions

There are 28 regional forestry directorates (RFD), 263 forest management directorates (Forest Disstrict Directorate-FDD) serving in the provincial organization of the General Directorate of Forestry. There are 2140 forest management chiefs (Forest Sub-District Directorates-FSDD) operating in the provincial organization of the General Directorate of Forestry.When we look at these statistics and distribution areas, we find bay leaves production areas within the boundaries of 16 Regional Directorates of Forestry in the north, west and south of the country namely;

1. Adana 2. Amasya 3. Antalya 4. Balıkesir 5. Bolu 6. Bursa 7. Çanakkale 8. Isparta 9. İstanbul 10. İzmir 11. Kahramanmaraş 12. Kastamonu 13. Mersin 14. Muğla 15. Sakarya 16. Zonguldak

4.1. Other Stakeholders As bay leaves production mostly conducted by forest villagers, private companies are the main processors and trader of the bay leaves. Cities like Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Adana, plenty of facilities can be found that receives bay leaves as raw material and process them into cosmetic products or produce leaves for culinary purposes or spices.

Table 6. A Typical Value Chain for a NWFP

Production Collection/Harvesting Processing Sale GDF-DNWFPS • Forest villagers • Forest Villagers • Direct Buyers from Regional Directorates who have rights • Cooperatives Source of Forest- Division of and permits • Private Sector • Intermediaries NWFPs and Services • Workers working between buyers and in the field, Chief peasants Forest Management of the Villages • Cooperatives Directorates • Intermediaries • Direct Sellers at the who mediate Markets and Bazaars Forest Management with forest • Final Sellers Chiefs management • Exporters Consulting / planning • Packaged Products firms on behalf of the Sellers GDF • Processed Products Sellers- Cosmetics

5. CHAPTER V: CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1. Diseases in Bay leaves Forests in Turkey People have been used Bay leaves to preserve their food for their strong scent and this to avoid worms and insects. However, there are several species that are observed to damage Bay leaves trees.

Trioza alacris Flor (Homoptera, Triozidae)

T. alacris, a species native to the Mediterranean, spread through the European countries, Turkey, The Caucasus and Algeria. They are mainly found on Laurus nobilis, also can be found on L. canariensis, L. campora, Prunus laurocerasus and Laurocerasus officinalis Roem.

Adults go out in April - May and start feeding. As a result of feeding, the leaves begin to curl towards the bottom. In May, adult females lay their eggs on the lower surface of these curled leaves. As a result of feeding of nymphs like adults, curls occur in the leaves. Most of the damage occurs during the nymphal period. This damage negatively affects both the development and appearance of the Bay leaves.

Archips rosanus (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae)

General distribution area including Scandinavia and Trans Caucasus including Europe, Asia and North America, Turkey's coastline in the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara, Black Sea and Central Anatolia regions located. They usually give a generation annually. The females lay their eggs in the shells of the host plants in the summer. The eggs begin to open from the end of February and that changes according to the region the following year. Completing their development by changing four shirts, the larvae begin to become pupae in May between the leaves they twist for feeding. Characteristically, when the larvae that bind together more than one leaf with silky nets and make a bouquet, they wrap the leaf longitudinally like a cigar in the middle vein direction. Adults start leaving in May and adult flights continue until mid-July. 3–4 days after the adult exit, female individuals lay their eggs in packages containing 2–100 eggs.

Picture 3. Archips rosanus

5.2 Recommendatıons Capacity and education levels of the producers who make a living by collecting bay leaves naturally are low. This situation damages the presence of the Bay leaves in the areas and cause degradation and reduce productivity in long term. In order to benefit from bay leaves in the long term, it is necessary to pay attention to training activities for collectors. A higher level of attention should be given to rehabilitation work in order to prevent destruction in the Bay leaves areas. At this stage, important duties fall to forest management directorates.

In order for the provincial economy to benefit from the bay leaf at a higher level, it is necessary to establish an international marketing network for this product in the country. Conducting marketing services both within the country and abroad through the cooperative-like producer organizations of bay leaf and its products will provide a healthier and sustainable structure in this field. Although it is stated in the Bay Leaves Action Plan, it is seen that the necessary care is not shown in increasing the level of work and first aid training of bay leaf collectors and the use of clothes suitable for the work conditions during the collection.

The research results carried out by the research institutes to obtain higher quality bay leaves in terms of quality and quantitative should be put into practice first. For this purpose, the research results obtained from the leaf institutions that provide the most suitable bay leaf yield in terms of quality and quantity determined by the research institutes according to the regions and shoot cutting times should be applied in the bay leaf collection areas and they should also be inspected by the responsible institutions on the subject.

Activities carried out at the academic level in relation to the cultivation of bay plants are promising. Information meetings should definitely be held in the relevant regions regarding the support provided within the scope of cultivated bay leaves development and special afforestation activities.

Products obtained from Bay leaves plants should have a certain standardization. Production of bay leaves, Bay leaves soap and other Bay leaves products in accordance with the standards demanded nationally and globally should be encouraged.

Bay leaves areas that have great potential to Turkey's economy in the medium and long term so that they should paid well attention in policy documents, regional or provincial rural development plans.

Prepare and implement national international projects on bay leaves to share traditional knowledge and experiences and to benefit from cutting edge innovation in bay leaves sector.

Consultation meetings should be organized at province or regional level with participation of all relevant stakeholders including NGOs to share experiences, discuss problems and provide solutions.

The DGF should increase effectiveness in the combat strategies in the light of the available inventory data for each region or NWFPs to combat diseases.

It should be encouraged that the forest villagers living in or next to the Bay leaves forests should educate in support the disease-fighting activities.

In order to protect Bay leaves forests more effectively, a close cooperation should be made between Village Legal Entities and Forestry Directorates. In this way, joint protection and utilization protocols will be prepared and Bay leaves secondary product utilization plans will become operational.

A strong partnership between GDF and private sector should be promoted with aim of increasing domestic and international market.

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