VALUING APPLES: FROM THE MYSTIC APPLE TO THE DIGITAL APPLES OF THE 21st CENTURY

Abstract

Apple is one of the first pieces of food mentioned in the earliest stories and books of mankind and different values were attributed to apple throughout the whole history. Various societies contributed to the appreciation of it placing it in their lullabies or fairy tales as well as in their daily communication and diet. Even if it seems to be so common, humble, and accessible, the lack of it is also interpreted in different ways. Yet, nowadays, it became one of the main foods of the 21st century as well. Following a quantitative and descriptive methodology and analyzing the values attributed to Apple, this paper provides a glimpse of its history and aims to analyze the ‘Apple’ case in Turkey regarding it not only as a ‘mystic’ product affecting the whole humanity but also as an agricultural product to be paid attention with the new trends in food processing in its developing aspects. Whereas the agricultural people spend more time and energy in producing better crops all around the world, the apple case in Turkey puts a shade on modernity placing apple growers away from sustainability, innovation, and productivity. Dwelling on the media coverage of the past few years regarding the apple as a content, the paper aims to introduce the main value of the apple as a product of agriculture and handles the problem of what to do in the case of apple production in its modern sense. Field research is enriched as to provide qualitative reports based on the focus group discussions and interviews with the apple producers and decision-makers as to put forward how apple is priced or degraded. In conclusion, it provides a needs analysis format, a systematic approach to the problem as a process of identifying and evaluating the apple case. As the results put forward, growing apples require valuing them. It also requires better-established facts, better-trained people, and concentrating more on the specific needs of employees, customers, suppliers, etc. These needs are often referred to as “gaps,” or the difference between what is currently done and what should be performed. So, re-valuing apples requires to bridge the gap between the mystic apples and the digital apples of the 21st century. Today’s farmers, should become a part of the network, enrich their cultivation methodology and innovation capacities as to reach to precision agriculture substructure and techniques to be able to become a part of the smart agriculture. Otherwise, they keep on just swallowing the mud of the field or consuming the fake news instead of reality.

JEL: O13; Q10; Q12; Q13; Q15

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