ALFA ARGE is a women's cooperative that was established in Ankara on December 7, 2020, in compliance with the regulations of the Ministry of Trade. It is formed by 15 women who have worked professionally in various fields and continue to do so. Our primary aim is to support and educate women in production, while preserving our ancient values, with the goal of providing our target audience with healthy, high-quality, and niche products.
We are a group of friends who were born and raised in the city and believe in the importance of proper and clean nutrition. We are aware of how crucial agricultural production is, especially in the difficult times our country and the world are going through. We understand that the lemons left on the tree and the potatoes rotting in the field steal something from all of our futures. We believe in the need to support local production, heirloom seeds, and promote our geographically indicated products. At ALFA ARGE, taking all of these sensitivities into account, we set out with the goal of adding value to agricultural products sourced directly from local producers and connecting them with domestic and international markets. While doing so, supporting women in production in every aspect is our top priority.
In December 2021, as we celebrated our first anniversary, we introduced our first product, black garlic, to consumers. We strongly believe in this product, which is not widely known but has numerous benefits, being both healthy and delicious. We produced black garlic, obtained by fermenting Taşköprü garlic with special methods and without any additives, in three different forms: black garlic cloves, black garlic puree, and black garlic seasoning.
In the middle of 2022, we added freeze-dried fruit snacks, which are also not widely known, to our product range. Of course, they were also additive-free and natural products. Another product we started producing during the same period is a fermented food. tarhananın pişirilip kurutulmasıyla elde edilen tarhana çörekleri oldu. Onlar da sağlıklı, bir o kadar da lezzetliler. Sağlıklı atıştırmalıklara talebin her geçen gün arttığı günümüzde hem meyve kurularımız hem de tarhana çöreklerimiz büyük bir ilgiyle karşılandı. .
As ALFA ARGE, our search for different products continues. We are working tirelessly to bring you healthy, natural, additive-free, geographically indicated, and unique products.
"To recognize the value of women's labor and empower women both economically and in terms of personal development."
"Here at ALFA ARGE, we are a women's cooperative dedicated to providing comprehensive support to women's labor and female empowerment, with both our individual knowledge and expertise as well as through our collaborative efforts. This is the purpose we set out to achieve on our journey."
Our cooperative was established under the Ministry of Trade on December 7, 2020, in the Çankaya district of Ankara, Turkey. It is a women's initiative cooperative. We, 15 female friends who have worked in various sectors and positions, came together to establish this cooperative. Our goal here is to contribute to the importance of nutrition in today's world, and to increase our knowledge and workforce, as well as that of the women we can reach, especially those in need, while doing so.
When we first decided to establish a cooperative, we had the idea of producing and selling bread in mind. However, after some research, we realized that the real challenge was not in production but in marketing the product. Therefore, our primary intention is to purchase various products from farmers in both the Ankara region and other areas, and work with women to add value to these products and facilitate their marketing. We believe that this will provide employment opportunities for both farmers and women in the region who may not be able to earn a living. When we decided to establish ALFA ARGE, our goal was also to evaluate products that exist in Turkey but are not well-known and therefore cannot enter the market. In our research, we discovered that there are products in our country that are not used because they are not well-known, and foreigners buy them at low prices, process them in their own countries, and then sell the processed products back to us at high prices. Here, our aim is to identify these products, process them, and export them. This way, we aim to create employment and export our country's values in processed form. Over the years, and this won't take too long, we want to expand our cooperative as we identify more diverse products.
"My belief is that there is undoubtedly strength in unity. To establish a cooperative is to bring together financial and moral strength, intelligence, and skill. I'm not talking about the union of a weak with a strong. Such a union would mean the weak becoming a captive to the strong. When you consider the population, life, and existence of Turkey, I have no doubt that the benefits and advantages resulting from unity will be immense. Those who think that the personal interests of producers will be compromised by coming together will naturally complain."
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Izmir, February 1, 1931.
We also believe in the power of unity and mutual benefit. We believe that production, and the growth that comes from working together with those around you, shoulder to shoulder, is the foundation of sound belief. While doing this, we found it appropriate to take on the marketing part, thinking that leaving production in capable hands, with the real producers, would benefit them more. Our priority is to combine our knowledge and strength with other women's cooperatives that engage in production and contribute to each other.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
"Everything we see in the world is the work of women."
By saying this, it has highlighted the role of women in Turkish society. To become a strong nation, it should be a top priority for our women to excel in every field, earn a living from their efforts, and introduce them to the world of commerce by providing them with education.
As a part of our citizenship duties, we believe it is incredibly important to reduce female poverty and implement mechanisms that will integrate women into the workforce, considering the point global competition has reached. Our priority is to help women whose freedom to read and work has been taken away, especially in the places we can reach, to become part of socio-economic life and support the development of alternative development models based on women's leadership. As a women's cooperative, we want to enable women who have not had the opportunity to earn a living from their own efforts and, where necessary, provide them with education through classes, courses, and seminars.
Take a look at the products made with women's labor.
Meet our team, who believes in the power of achieving together.
Let's grow ALFA ARGE's impact together.
Our cooperative was established under the Ministry of Trade on December 7, 2020, in the Çankaya district of Ankara, Turkey. It is a women's initiative cooperative. We, 15 female friends who have worked in various sectors and positions, came together to establish this cooperative. Our goal here is to contribute to the importance of nutrition in today's world, and to increase our knowledge and workforce, as well as that of the women we can reach, especially those in need, while doing so.
When we first decided to establish a cooperative, we had the idea of producing and selling bread in mind. However, after some research, we realized that the real challenge was not in production but in marketing the product. Therefore, our primary intention is to purchase various products from farmers in both the Ankara region and other areas, and work with women to add value to these products and facilitate their marketing. We believe that this will provide employment opportunities for both farmers and women in the region who may not be able to earn a living. When we decided to establish ALFA ARGE, our goal was also to evaluate products that exist in Turkey but are not well-known and therefore cannot enter the market. In our research, we discovered that there are products in our country that are not used because they are not well-known, and foreigners buy them at low prices, process them in their own countries, and then sell the processed products back to us at high prices. Here, our aim is to identify these products, process them, and export them. This way, we aim to create employment and export our country's values in processed form. Over the years, and this won't take too long, we want to expand our cooperative as we identify more diverse products.
"My belief is that there is undoubtedly strength in unity. To establish a cooperative is to bring together financial and moral strength, intelligence, and skill. I'm not talking about the union of a weak with a strong. Such a union would mean the weak becoming a captive to the strong. When you consider the population, life, and existence of Turkey, I have no doubt that the benefits and advantages resulting from unity will be immense. Those who think that the personal interests of producers will be compromised by coming together will naturally complain."
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Izmir, February 1, 1931.
We also believe in the power of unity and mutual benefit. We believe that production, and the growth that comes from working together with those around you, shoulder to shoulder, is the foundation of sound belief. While doing this, we found it appropriate to take on the marketing part, thinking that leaving production in capable hands, with the real producers, would benefit them more. Our priority is to combine our knowledge and strength with other women's cooperatives that engage in production and contribute to each other.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk “Dünya yüzünde gördüğümüz her şey kadının eseridir” diyerek Türk toplumunda kadının yerini ortaya koymuştur. Güçlü bir devlet olmak için kadınlarımızın her konuda yükselmelerini ve emeklerinden para kazanmalarını sağlamak, eğitimlerini vererek onları ticaret hayatına kazandırmak toplumun öncelikli hedefi olmalıdır.
As a part of our citizenship duties, we believe it is incredibly important to reduce female poverty and implement mechanisms that will integrate women into the workforce, considering the point global competition has reached. Our priority is to help women whose freedom to read and work has been taken away, especially in the places we can reach, to become part of socio-economic life and support the development of alternative development models based on women's leadership. As a women's cooperative, we want to enable women who have not had the opportunity to earn a living from their own efforts and, where necessary, provide them with education through classes, courses, and seminars.
Feedback from Beneficiaries and Collaborators About ALFA ARGE's Work
It is a source of pride to collaborate with ALFA ARGE, which supports women in gaining strength and presence in society.
