Research on marketing channels of Urfa cheese produced by family businesses

Nutrition is one of the most basic requirements for the sustainability of human life. While milk and dairy products have an important place in nutrition, especially cheese has a special position in terms of health since it is a fermented food. Cheese, which supports the intestinal microbiota with its probiotic content, contributes to the healthy functioning of the digestive system and offers positive effects in reducing the risk of cardiovascular health, metabolic syndrome and hypertension. Nowadays, it is known that cheeses produced by industrial methods increase the amount of production, but create some concerns about food safety among consumers. In this context, family businesses producing cheese with traditional methods are among the important actors in terms of sustainable production. In this thesis study, the marketing channels and strategies adopted by family businesses engaged in animal husbandry and producing Urfa cheese, which has an important place in traditional cheese production, in reaching consumers are addressed as the main research topic. In addition to this, the economic and social structures of the family enterprises that make a living from animal husbandry, Urfa cheese production techniques and the main problems they face in production and marketing processes constitute the other research areas of the study. The main material of the study consists of primary data collected through a questionnaire form from family enterprises engaged in cheese production. Within the scope of the study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with representatives of 100 cheese producing family businesses. As a result of the analysis of the data obtained, it was determined that the main problems faced by Urfa cheese producers are concentrated in various areas such as marketing, pricing, storage, hygiene, production techniques and input costs. In order to solve these problems, it was suggested that producers should be organised, integrated into digital marketing and e-commerce processes, extension activities should be carried out on food safety and hygiene issues, and the livestock sector should be strengthened with various support mechanisms.