BioFach 2023

As Karimex Hazelnut Industry, located in Ordu and operating an organic hazelnut cracking and processing factory in Zonguldak, we participated in BioFACH 2023, one of the world's most important bio food fairs.

Since 2017, through investments made, Karimex subsidiary AZOF Organik has been producing bio hazelnuts using a contract farming model with over 900 contracted farmers and more than 11,000 acres of land in Zonguldak. With the aim of introducing the magnificent Turkish Hazelnut, which is the result of the efforts of these producers, to the world, we participated in the bio-food fair held in Nuremberg, Germany from February 14th to 17th.

Due to the increasing consumption and awareness of organic food worldwide, we have directed our investments towards this sector. Karimex Hazelnut Industry represented by Emrah Albayrak, a board member and agricultural engineer, stated, "The consumption of bio food, which has been met with great interest in our country in recent years, is particularly gaining significant attention in Europe, which is our largest market for conventional hazelnuts. European societies have been very sensitive to how safe food is produced for a long time. There is a continuous demand for products that are sustainable, environmentally friendly, healthy, and have high hygiene standards. Now, they have also added carbon footprint to this list. For these reasons, we have increased our activities in the field of Bio and certified hazelnut production and established Turkey's first integrated hazelnut facility, exclusively for organic hazelnut processing, in Zonguldak Ereğli Organized Industrial Zone."

At AZOF Organik, we constantly monitor the production and harvesting processes in collaboration with our agricultural engineers, provide training to our contracted farmers, and cover their agricultural input needs and certification costs. If necessary, we also assist our farmers in various tasks, such as harvesting their hazelnuts, especially since many elderly farmers have requested such assistance. That is why our motto at AZOF is "We Will Produce Together, We Will Win Together."

AZOF is more than just an bio farming association. We have made commitments in various areas, such as fair trade, gender equality, and improving the socio-economic conditions of producers and agricultural workers, through different certification bodies like Fair For Life and Rainforest. We are an organization that works year-round to fulfill these commitments and eliminate differences and inequalities.

BioFACH 2023, one of the world's most important organic food fairs, will be held in Nuremberg from February 14th to 17th, attracting numerous participants from Europe and around the world. As a company, we have taken our place at this fair to promote the value we possess and to represent our country and products.