Revisiting the Siyez Case: Can We Take a Lesson from Its Exploitation, Learn from the Sorgül Wheat Project, and Hope for a Better Future for Ancient Wheat Landraces?

Revisiting the siyez case: Can we take a lesson from its exploitation, learn from the Sorgül Wheat Project, and hope for the better in future? Türkiye is home to the earliest varieties of wheat, some of which are still cultivated or grow wild in remote landscapes of Anatolia. Siyez (Triticum monococcum) has been a staple crop for thousands of years. However, over time, other wheat varieties took over, dominating the market with their higher yield. Siyez was no longer considered commercially valuable and was only grown by peasants for their own consumption or as livestock feed. However, a few decades ago, it was rediscovered and gained great recognition due to growing interest in heirloom seeds and ancient varieties. Siyez became the “new” star, the “re-found miracle grain,” and almost a fad, supposedly saved from the brink of extinction. It became the most sought-after product, being low in gluten and high in protein. Siyez’s rise from rags to riches seemed to be a success story that would ensure its sustainability in the future, but reality proved otherwise. Most siyez products on the market were actually made from other wheat varieties grown elsewhere and marketed as siyez. Despite rising interest in siyez products, little had changed for the peasants who had initially safeguarded its existence. Furthermore, the ‘real’ siyez might still be under threat of extinction despite its rise to fame. This paper revisits the siyez case as presented at the Dublin–Kraków 2021 Online Conference, taking the award-winning Sorgül Wheat Project of Ebru Baybara Demir as a model and investigates the possibility of applying contract farming models that protect producers and ensure product reliability for consumers.