Melike Aydın

DERSİM - Beser Albayrak grows vegetables without using pesticides and she puts the organic vegetables in her basket and sells them by herself instead of selling them in the markets.

Living in the Nazimiye district of Dersim province, Beser Albayrak goes to city center and sells the vegetables. But the vegetables are sold by her are organic. She grows vegetables without using pesticides, even without using fertilizer. Beser talked about her vegetables and she said, “I sell tomatoes for three and half liras but they are sold for four liras by markets. If I sell them to the market, they will pay me only one lira per kilo. And they will sell them for four or four and half liras saying they are tomatoes of villages. In this way, the people buy cheap and organic vegetables and I receive a recompense for my work.”

‘I am supported by women’

The reason why Beser grows the vegetables is certainly not economical. First she takes some of vegetables for herself for winter and then she shares some with the people living near her. After meeting her needs and sharing with others, Beser fills her basket with the rest of vegetables and sells them in the city center.

Beser said, “My husband, our neighbors and I plant and water the vegetables together. Women and men do this together. But women should support each other. I am supported by women in Dersim city center. Here we stand in solidarity with each other.”