Turkey Access

A backgrounder on global challenges and opportunities for U.S. soy produced by the United Soybean Board (USB)/Soybean Checkoff Global Opportunities (GO) program May 2010

The Issue
U.S. soy exports to Turkey, the 8th largest market abroad for U.S. soy, could end due to full implementation of a new law in that country related to biotechnology.

Why it Matters
The market access disruption could mean the loss of a market for U.S. soy valued by the U.S. Soybean Export Council at $370 million.

Issue Summary
A year ago, Turkey adopted a new law governing import of crops improved through the use of biotechnology. It impacts U.S. soy exports to Turkey, since most U.S. soybean farmers seed most soybean acreage in the United States using biotech-enhanced seed. As it attempts to implement the new law, Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture informed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service that current biotech approvals would not be automatically recognized (i.e., not “grandfathered in”). The ministry has indicated that companies who sell biotech soybean seed will need to resubmit paperwork for a review by a new Turkish Biosafety Board that will examine it under requirements specified in the new law. However, that Biosafety Board will not even be formed until at least one month after the current import approvals expire. Getting new approvals could take months, thus disrupting U.S. soy exports to Turkey. 

 

Critical Facts

• Most U.S. soybean shipments currently contain three biotech genetic events. U.S. soybeans, soybean meal and soybean oil from soybeans grown using biotech seed could be banned from Turkey as soon as the end of September.
• The new law in Turkey also requires labels on food that contain soy from biotech-enhanced soybeans. This could reduce the use of U.S. soy used in food products sold in Turkey.
• Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture has encouraged biotechnology seed providers to submit paperwork as soon as possible to the Biosafety Board and has said that it will expedite the new review and approval process.
• Biotech seed providers have expressed concern about the uncertainty of how the new Turkish Biosafety Board will operate and carry out the new review and approval process.
• Stringent penalties apply to anyone found to infringe the new Turkish law, even unknowingly. For example, Article 15 of Turkey’s biosafety law says: “Those who import, produce and release genetically modified plants or animals into the environment, contrary to the rule of this law, are punished with prison terms of 5-12 years…” and heavy monetary fines.
• The wording of the new Turkish biosafety law does not include any flexibility for accepting current import approvals for biotech crops that Turkey had in place
• The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture has said importers could apply after September 26 for approval of specific shipments with biotech crops for specific use such as animal feed if they could reference authorizations for the biotech events from other entities such as the European Food Safety Authority. A lot of uncertainty exists about this process, and it remains to be seen if these requests will be granted.
• According to industry sources in Turkey, about three months’ worth of soybeans & meal exist in storage. The food and feed industries express concern that non-biotech soy will not be available. The food industry worries imported food products might be tested and found to have non-biotech ingredients, thus violating the new law.

Issue Conclusion

The situation in Turkey serves as an example of the types of serious market-access challenges U.S. soybean farmers and the rest of the U.S. soy industry face around the globe.

For More Information on this Issue
For a copy of the results of the USB/soybean checkoff-funded report:

• Go to www.unitedsoybean.org
• Click on the “Media Center” at the top.
• Click on the “Background Material” link to the right.
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• The United Soybean Board’s (USB) Global Opportunities program publishes Global Opportunities Briefing. If you would like permission to redistribute, reprint or repost this information with credit given to the USB/Soybean Checkoff, please contact USB at info@unitedsoybean.org.