Regions
Afyonkarahisar, Denizli, Eskisehir
Partner Organizations
- Alarko Agriculture Group
- Alsera
- Palmira Agro
- Genseed
Regenerative practices in scope
improved water management; integrated pest management (IPM); precision farming; nutrient management optimization.
Risks associated with the Landscape
Turkiye faces acute water stress (79% of freshwater used in agriculture) and soil degradation (88% of soils below 2% organic matter). Climate shocks - drought, frost, heatwaves - contracted Turkiye's agriculture ~8.8% in 2025, deepening rural (especially informal female) economic vulnerability. The project targets water stress, rising energy costs, resource inefficiency and the sector's need for standardization.
Monitored or published results/outcomes
Water efficiency. Alsera treats water not as a resource that is simply consumed but as a strategic value recovered within the production cycle. Alsera passes its plant drainage water through filtration and UV disinfection and returns it to irrigation at roughly 98% recovery, which delivers an additional ~30% saving in both water and fertilizer. Combined with the ~60% water saving that cocopeat soilless cultivation already provides over conventional field growing, Alsera reaches total water savings of up to 72%. The difference is measurable at product level: producing 1 kg of tomatoes requires about 60 litres of water in open-field farming, but only about 15 litres in Alsera's modern, drainage-recovery greenhouses. In addition, a 4,000-ton rainwater harvesting system can, on its own, cover a greenhouse's daily water requirement, easing pressure on natural water sources.
Energy and carbon. Because Alsera pumps less water, energy consumption and the associated carbon footprint are also reduced, so the water savings translate into wider environmental and operational benefits.
Certifications and assurance. Alsera holds GlobalG.A.P., certifying production that is free of harmful chemical, physical and microbiological residues and compliant with international standards, and GRASP, a voluntary standard covering workers' health, safety and welfare. Alsera is also a pioneering WEPs (Women's Empowerment Principles) signatory in Turkish agriculture.
Social and SDG contribution. Women make up about 75% of Alsera's greenhouse workforce, supporting registered female employment in rural areas, and the group's sustainable production practices contribute to at least 9 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Number of farmers engaged
Not disclosed
Number of farms engaged
19 company-owned greenhouse facilities
Number of hectares under management
1.200
Additional information:
In 2023 Alarko Holding entered agriculture business and within three years became Turkiye's largest corporate agricultural investor, building a 360-degree, climate-resilient model that prioritizes energy, water and resource management across four lines: modern greenhouses (Alsera); micro-granular niche fertilizer offering farmers up to 10x logistics efficiency (Palmira Agro); and climate-resilient seed breeding plus dried-food production that tackles food waste (Genseed). natural, geothermal-grown produce is exported to 33 countries, mainly the EU. The group targets a place among the world's top-10 agricultural investors by 2030, holds a net-zero vision, secured the World Bank/IBRD's first agricultural project finance in Turkiye, and has begun expanding the model to Kazakhstan. AI/IoT smart-greenhouse management, advanced drainage-water recovery and rainwater harvesting are being standardized across all 19 greenhouses (rainwater currently on ~30-33%, planned for all by end-2026) and embedded as the default design of every new greenhouse toward a vision of scaling to 5,000 ha under management. Know-how is being carried to overseas investments as a scalable sector model. The AI/IoT layer reached all greenhouses by end-2025.
Information about monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) approach:
~100 IoT sensors capture soil moisture, water level, temperature and humidity in real time; AI algorithms compute optimal irrigation through an agronomist-in-the-loop learning cycle that trains the model toward full automation. Lab cross-checks; third-party GlobalG.A.P. and GRASP audits. Results are reported via Alarko Holding's sustainability reporting and its Common Impact / Net-Zero initiatives.
Incentives and value creation model:
technical assistance; ecosystem services