Türkiye’s food giant Tat Gıda has reinforced its sustainability vision with a tangible initiative by implementing a meaningful project in Bursa Karacabey. Within the memorial forest established in memory of Şerafettin Memiş, founder of Memişoğlu Tarım Ürünleri and Tat Bakliyat, 10,000 saplings were planted. This meaningful initiative stands out as a strong reflection of respect for nature, environmental responsibility, and the determination to leave a more livable world for future generations. The project, launched as part of March 21 Forest Week, was completed on March 25, creating lasting environmental value.
Tat Gıda Chairman of the Board Veysel Memiş experienced emotional moments while planting saplings together with company employees in the area named after his father, Şerafettin Memiş, who passed away on November 3, 2024, at the age of 63. Emphasizing that the project created in his father’s memory holds great significance for them, Veysel Memiş highlighted that increasing forest fires, drought, and the climate crisis in recent years were key drivers behind the initiative.
Pointing out that environmental challenges were the starting point of the memorial forest project, Veysel Memiş said: “We do not consider it sufficient to be a brand that merely draws attention to problems. We are building a structure that produces concrete solutions and sustains this approach. In this regard, we will continue to implement similar environmental projects.”
Emphasizing that priority was given to Bursa Karacabey due to the company’s production facilities located in the region, Veysel Memiş stated that creating value in the regions where they operate and contributing to local ecosystems are among their core priorities.
Stating that Tat Gıda is a large family that creates value and continues to build strong bonds both within the organization and in society, Veysel Memiş said: “Each sapling is a symbol of the value we leave to nature and future generations; by sustaining these values, we will continue to leave lasting marks for both our family and society.”
“Natural resource efficiency, reducing carbon footprint, and climate risk adaptation are our priorities”
Veysel Memiş noted that the Şerafettin Memiş Memorial Forest, created with pine saplings, significantly strengthens the environmental pillar of Tat Gıda’s sustainable growth strategy, adding that natural resource efficiency, carbon footprint reduction, and climate risk adaptation are among their top priorities.
“Sustainability is one of the core building blocks of our business model”
Highlighting that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria have become decisive in corporate valuations in global markets, Memiş stated that Tat Gıda treats its investments in this area as a strategic priority.
Veysel Memiş said: “We approach sustainability not merely as a statement, but as one of the core building blocks of our business model. We manage environmental responsibility and financial sustainability together. This approach both improves our operational efficiency and strengthens our long-term competitiveness. The memorial forest we established in Karacabey is a concrete reflection of our responsibility toward nature and our long-term value creation approach.”
He added that their work in sustainable agriculture, digitalization, and resource efficiency becomes even more meaningful when combined with environmental projects, and noted that the company continues its investments to reduce environmental impact in line with its 2050 net-zero target. He also emphasized that Tat Gıda’s contract farming model, digital agriculture applications, and water efficiency projects present a scalable transformation model in the sector, and that the memorial forest is a natural extension of this approach.