Project description:

Challenge: While agricultural labor has been declining over the past 10 years, women’s work has remained largely invisible. Although women make up 42% of the agricultural workforce, more than 2 million of them work unpaid alongside their families, with limited access to capital, production tools, and technology. Their self-confidence is low. These structural inequalities made it difficult for women to have a visible presence in agriculture and to achieve sustainable production. As one of the largest agricultural producers and the leading brand in frozen foods, SuperFresh needs to take action on this issue.

Solution: Through the “Women Stars of Agriculture” project, the company made women’s labor visible and promoted equal opportunities by providing training, financing, and product purchase guarantees. To reach the right participants and manage the training activities, the company collaborated with TABİT. The company offered courses on topics such as artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. By transforming the CSR project into a tangible product, the company launched “Harvest Peas from the Aegean with the Labor of TKY” at Migros; this not only brought the efforts of women farmers to consumers’ tables but also challenged prejudices against frozen foods.

Result: 

•       The ratio of women farmers at Superfresh increased from 6% to 27%.
•     In 2024, 382 women received training certificates and in the first half of 2025, 342 women were certified. The target satisfaction rate of 90% was achieved at 98%.
•   The first product resulting from the CSR project, “Harvest Peas from the Aegean with the Labor of TKY,” was launched at Migros. Its market share doubled, achieving this success during the peak season for fresh peas.
•     The company launched an internship program to ensure sustainability in agricultural employment.
•     Sustainability image scores increased by +8 points and +3 points.
•     The company received 16 awards.

Partners:

Yıldız Holding Women’s Platform, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, UN Women, Boğaziçi University, Ipsos, TABİT, Women Farmers

Category: Sustainable Economy & Growth

Company: SuperFresh

About the company: 

Besler, one of Turkey’s leading food producers, was established in 1977. The company operates with leading brands in the frozen food and oil categories, offering practical, reliable, and delicious solutions to consumers’ tables with its wide range of products. Under the brands SuperFresh (frozen and canned products), DFU (frozen pastries), Bizim Yağ, Teremyağ, Luna, Yayla, Sabah, and Halk (oil category), the company is represented by 57 brands and over 1,500 types of products. The project is implemented by the SuperFresh brand, which is the leader in the frozen food market in Turkey.