Reis Gıda backs women farmers since 2019, how should a food brand build its supply?

Işılay Reis of Reis Gıda speaks in the statement; the report does not give her title. According to Işılay Reis, supporting producers and domestic farming has long been a core responsibility for the company.

A July 2024 report by Ekonomim, a Turkish business outlet, describes the project in Ceyhanlı, a village in the Akkuş district of Ordu, on a plateau at 1,400 metres. There, organic and geographically indicated white beans are grown under a contract farming model, aimed mainly at local women and young producers. The report adds that similar projects run in other regions.

According to Reis Gıda, efficient use of soil and water supports sustainability, and traditional products keep their natural structure and nutritional value. The company also describes pulses as a source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. These are the brand’s own claims; the report includes no independent measurement.

Pick a crop the region already knows; a geographically indicated product brings a quality standard and a ready-made story. Villages where women already farm may give you a head start, though that is a judgement call, not a rule.

Purchase volume, quality criteria, when the price is set and payment terms. Producers need a plain-language contract and a face-to-face explanation before they sign. With women producers, whose name the contract and payments go under is a separate decision.

A brand that cannot show which village and batch a pack came from cannot defend its story either. If batch numbers, harvest dates and producer records start in the first season, later certification and audits get easier. Without records, the story is just talk.

When a product with a women-producer or local-sourcing message comes up for listing, the buying team wants proof. A sample contract, a producer list and batch records can shorten the time to listing.

It can, but it takes steady volume and the same quality every season. Inconsistent quality can end even a good story in the first season.

A producer story takes space on the pack: village name, region, QR code. For another example of packaging carrying a social message, see Fersan’s protocol with MEMEDER.

The shelf checklist comes down to six questions. Is the front claim one sentence, with the document on file? Is the village or region named correctly, and does the QR code lead to the producer page? Are weight and price legible next to rival packs, and are the environmental and nutrition lines framed as “according to the company”?

Unmeasured environmental claims, unsourced nutrition promises and hard-to-verify words such as “best” or “first”. Wording like that can fall under advertising and labelling rules. Verify with the official source; this is not legal or financial advice.

A shelf is less a shop window than a crowded bus stop: everyone glances in a hurry and reads the clearest sign. The women-producer message can be part of that sign, not all of it.

Region, crop, harvest period, working model and the date of the last update. If there are figures, give their source and date; if there are none, do not invent them. Use photos of real producers, with permission.

Shoppers search “where do these beans come from”, “are they organic”, “do they have a geographical indication”. A product page that answers those plainly has a better chance of being cited in search results and AI answers.

A one-day post does not build lasting visibility. The FAO’s International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 page draws attention all year to women’s access to land, finance and training. Plan brand content around harvest and season, not a single day.

For each SKU, write down which region the raw material comes from and through which middlemen. The product with the fewest middlemen is the first candidate for a direct contract. Start the list with the products that add most to your average basket value.

According to the FAO’s 2023 report, 36% of working women and 38% of working men are employed in agrifood systems. The same report projects that closing the gender gap in farm productivity and the wage gap in agricultural employment could add about 1 trillion dollars to global GDP and cut the number of food-insecure people by 45 million. These are projections, and a brand should never present them as its own contribution.

Aligning the supply story with product, packaging and digital channels is part of our brand consultancy work. For the decision logic on the chain-growth side, see our piece on Dürümle’s Forum Diyarbakır opening.

The Perakende.org report of 14 October 2026 gives no number of villages, women producers or product volume. For the current scope, wait for the company’s official statements.

You can, but you need to prove it with contracts, a producer list and batch records. Check labelling rules with the official source; this is not legal advice.

The sources give no figure on this. Cost depends on purchase guarantees, quality criteria and the number of middlemen, so test it against your own supply numbers.