Financing agricultural production and food supply chain in Türkiye: Identifying problems and suggesting solutions within the framework of islamic economics

The interest rates of agricultural loans, one of the most important agricultural financing instruments, have become one of the most debated issues in the agricultural sector due to the debt restructurings that have been repeated very frequently in recent years, and the structure of the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain, one of the most dynamic chains of the food supply system, has become one of the most discussed issues in the agricultural sector, especially due to the price increases that have continued since the establishment of sales points. In the theory and historical experience of Islamic economics, the selem contract method, which shows how the capital needs of farmers were met in an interest-free manner after the prohibition of interest, and the experience of the Medina Market, which shows how the supply chain of farmers' products functioned after the migration to Medina, are quite remarkable in today's conditions. This study, which adopts a mixed method approach, aims to identify the problems related to both the high-interest nature of agricultural loans and the long and complex nature of the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain in Türkiye and to develop applicable models and policy recommendations for their solutions within the framework of Islamic economics. In this direction, firstly, the theoretical framework of the subject was explained by trying to include current data. Then, some analyses (time series analysis, sample numerical exercises, and content analysis) were conducted to identify the problems in question. Finally, specific recommendations were developed to solve all the problems identified, and interviews were conducted with some stakeholders in the agricultural sector (farmers, Agricultural Credit Cooperatives officials, and academics with different areas of expertise) to collect their evaluations (data) to analyze their applicability. The data collected through interviews were subjected to thematic analysis in MAXQDA 2020 software. According to the findings of the analysis, farmers are willing to actively benefit from the model proposal. Agricultural Credit Cooperatives officials believe that the model proposal is technically viable, and the policy recommendations are generally applicable. Academics consider the policy recommendations partially applicable.