This excursion focuses on collective practices and initiatives that view food not merely as consumption but as a way of commons, solidarity, ecological justice, and urban struggle.
How can alternative food networks be shaped in the city? Can farmers’ markets, urban gardens (“bostans”), cooperatives, and community initiatives function as a form of resistance against mainstream urban practices? And can these help to build a sustainable, community- and nature-based, resilient, and self-sufficient city? Throughout the walk, we will explore different forms of collective food practices and movements.
Our Stations and Encounters
Our first stop, Feriköy Ecologic Food Market, has aimed to establish a direct, trust-based model that seeks to become an alternative to industrial food chains by bringing certified small-scale farmers together with consumers since 2006. The market was established in partnership with the Buğday (“Wheat”) Association and Şişli Municipality.
Buğday Association has been working on ecological living, clean food, agroecology, and sustainable production-consumption relations. Through projects such as ecologic markets, the TaTuTa ecological farm network, seed-sharing initiatives, and community-supported agriculture, the association has contributed to the expansion of alternative food systems and ecological awareness since the 1990s.
Piyalepaşa Urban Garden is a 400-year-old historic bostan and a listed site. The historical Piyalepaşa and Yedikule Urban Gardens, where farming and cultivation are still carried out by bostancı families, have faced the threat of destruction over the last two decades. The Piyalepaşa Bostan Defence is a local solidarity movement that emerged to protect this bostan. This struggle views the bostans not merely as areas of agricultural production, but as part of collective memory, cultural heritage, labour, neighbourhood relations, and the right to the city.
Beyoğlu Food Community is a solidarity-based initiative that aims to build a fair, ecological, and sustainable food system between local producers and consumers. Ensuring access to fair and ecological food; supporting small-scale producers and fostering networks of solidarity; building trust-based relationships between producers and consumers; promoting sustainability and local production; and creating a transparent and community-driven model are among the principles of this initiative.
Campus Gardens Initiative
University campus gardens in Istanbul are emerging as food communities that bring together learning, production, and living. These campus gardens function as common ground for labour, solidarity, and sharing, where students and academics come together. The Campus Gardens Initiative was established to encourage collaboration, knowledge exchange, and solidarity among university gardens across the city.
Kuzguncuk Community Garden
Preserved through long-term neighborhood resistance, this urban garden has survived and become an important example of defending urban commons in the city. Against ongoing urban transformation pressures, it continues to exist as a living public space that embodies collective memory, ecological awareness, and neighbourhood solidarity.
The Time Table
9:00 Departure from Elmadağ Busstop – Northbound (opposite side of the Konak hotel)
9:15 -10:10 Feriköy Ecologic Food Market and Buğday Association
10:30 -11:30 Piyale Paşa Urban Farm, Bostan
11:50 -12:30 Beyoğlu Food Community (with Campus Gardens Initiative)
12:45 departure from Kabataş piers to the Asian side
13:45 Kuzguncuk Community Garden, Bostan
15:30 TAK
Physical features:
We will be using a chartered minibus to get to the various locations in European side. We will cross from the European side to the Asian side by public ferry boat. We will use public transport and walk a little bit in Asian Side. We will visit bostans (urban gardens) don’t forget to take your sun protection, water and hat with you. Walking distance in European Side is very limited. Due to the distance between stations to be visited, this excursion will be a bit longer than the other excursions, We will finish later.
Suggested Lunch:
We will take the lunch at TAK Kadıköy (the conference venue) as organised for the entire group. As a part of the excursion on food ecosystem, you can buy snacks as a gesture of solidarity with the communities and enjoy delicious, fair-trade and healthy food during your ferry journey. We will be discussing and debating the food system by engaging all our senses
Departure from Konak Hotel/Elmadag Bus Stop at 9:00 AM.
The tour will be conducted By Aslı Kıyak Ingin
email: aslikiyak@gmail.com
whatsapp:+90 542 3476241