SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AGRICULTURE: ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES

This study compares certain environmental and economic indicators at Turkey, European Union (EU), OECD countries and global level in the context of sustainable development. The study analyses sustainability differences between countries by examining indicators such as CO₂ emissions, renewable energy consumption, GDP growth rate, methane emissions from agriculture and freshwater withdrawal. The findings show that Turkey is at higher levels in terms of carbon emissions compared to OECD and EU countries, while it lags behind developed countries in renewable energy consumption. In order to eliminate these differences in Turkey's sustainable development performance, there is a need to increase the use of renewable energy resources and environmentally friendly policies to reduce carbon emissions. The study also suggests that Turkey should focus on environmental policies for sustainable management of water resources and reduction of methane emissions from agriculture.