A research on the determination of the socio-economic effects of Kocaeli-Kandira food specialized organized industrial zone

The main purpose of this research is to analyze the socio-economic effects of Kandıra Food Specialized Organized Industrial Zone (Kandıra FSOIZ) in Kandıra district of Kocaeli. Socio-economic effects are researched on the base of agricultural production, employment and farmers' decisions in terms of the farmers whose land affected and the farmers whose land not affected by the FSOIZ as well as the companies specifications which operate in the FSOIZ so as to identify problems and offer solutions. For this purpose, the farmers in the villages of Kocakaymaz and Goncaaydın, where Kandıra FSOIZ is located, were grouped as the farmers being affected directly (whose land is expropriated) and the farmers being affected indirectly (whose land is not expropriated), and a face-to-face interview was made with a total of 131 farmers. To show the differences in the analysis of the data obtained from the farms examined, farms were examined in two groups based on whether or not their land in Kandıra FSOIZ was expropriated and in three groups in order to demonstrate whether or not farmers opinions were related to land size. In the other part of the research, of 61 companies registered in Kocaeli Kandıra FSOIZ, 41 agreed to provide information, and a survey interview was made by their executives with face-to-face and electronic mail. In the survey data obtained, farmers' and company executives' opinions about the positive and negative effects on Kandıra FSOIZ were identified and their expectations were revealed. The method of fuzzy pairwise comparison was employed in the analysis of the data obtained from the farmers surveyed for the purpose of determining whether or not the significance level of farmers' criterions in production differentiated after the establishment of the FSOIZ. Furthermore, expropriation practices within the scope of Kocaeli Kandıra FSOIZ were examined, the problems and their solutions were identified, and offered. It is founded that farmers were significant for the sectors classified based on 6 sector groups in Kandıra FSOIZ . Furthermore, for the sectors in Kandıra FSOIZ, "significant" and "very significant" were stated by 95.42% of the farmers dairy products, 96.19% for meat products, 73.28% for fruits and vegetables, 51.15% for confectionery and bakery products, 45.04% for dried fruits and legumes, and 23.66% for chips and convenience food. This demonstrates the need for further research and more depply analysis on the potential effects of the establishment of Food Specialized Organized Industrial Zones. Keywords: Food Specialized Organized Industrial Zone, agricultural employment, agro-based industry, socio-economic analysis, fuzzy pairwise comparison.