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Dalya Hazar Kalonya

such as milk, wool, fur, and honey should be produced as well. To increase
financial profitability in extensive farming systems, working with more than one
product may decrease emissions per product to a great extent (TÜBİTAK, 2021).
As the 4342 num. Pasture Law is not up-to-date in line with the current needs
and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, the loss of pastures
is much easier now. For this reason, the necessary rules and regulations should
be made as soon as possible. Recently launched digital applications such
as Pasture Information Systems (Mera Bilgi Sistemleri - MERBİS) have great
potential for improved cadastral mapping, data security, and compensating
for the lack of coordination between institutions.
As understood from the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
(TKGM) parcel information system, how to determine the borders of pastures
is ambigious. Protecting the pasture assets through mapping them using
more extensive shelter belts and according to bioregions rather than property
boundaries is important for pastures to continue functioning as carbon sinks.
Additionally, the migration of young population from rural to urban areas is
one of the major problems related to the loss of pastures. In order to prevent
it, the young population in the countryside should be supported through
various development projects (such as Uzman Eller). Moreover, it is suggested
that while deciding on land use in eco-sensitive rural planning processes,
the geographical, biological, and physical characteristics of the pastures
should also be taken into considerations. However, the current use of widely
intensive methods in cattle breeding in Türkiye, trivializes pastures in the eyes
of decision makers, and make way for their appropriation for other uses.
As important carbon sinks, pastures have the potential to provide resistance
and mitigate the effects of climate change. Through restorative agricultural
practices such as holistic grazing management in particular, grazing
management to be done under the supervision of relevant institutions and
common organizations, and pastures should be positioned as an important
component of urban and rural green infrastructure systems.
The protection and improvement of pastures are also important for the
sustainability of rural tradition and tacit knowledge. The organization of rural
producers should be promoted through improved rural policies and land
use decisions as well as new community-based (common) organizations
such as cooperatives and unions. Furthermore, there should be trainings for
producers on modern and restorative agricultural practices, and monitoring
and supervision systems should be established.
Pastures cannot be handled without considering climate crisis, and the
concept of food security, which has been an important current issue since the
breakout of COVID-19 pandemic. It is a widely accepted fact that grassfed

148 Journal of Environment, Urbanization and Climate,