Can fava beans lower inflation?

There is not much time left until the 102nd anniversary of our founding, that is, our Republic. We will celebrate it across our entire country next week. It is difficult to even feel this enthusiasm in our country. Aside from news reports about certain celebrations on social media, I cannot see any serious preparations being made. It is all about the accusations, intrigues, and investigations prepared by the government against its opponents. The public has grown tired and overwhelmed by following the reflections and processes of this. Furthermore, economic problems in our country have increased to such an extent that citizens have no room left to breathe.

Summer has passed, autumn is behind us, and there is 1 month left until winter. Economic contraction is steadily increasing. I have a small amount of olives; I thought about hiring agricultural workers to harvest them, and a worker's daily wage is no less than 3000.00 TL. It would be more profitable to leave the olives on the trees. But I cannot do that. Even if it is at a loss, we will harvest the olives. There is nothing else to do. Citizens first ask about the money they will receive. It is clear that the olives I will have harvested and the olive oil to be produced will result in a loss. If labor costs are like this, the transportation of the harvested olives to the factory, the pressing, and the bottling have become very expensive. If you also take into account pre-harvest pruning, fertilization, spraying, and hidden costs, you can imagine the rest. At the end of this calculation, either the farmer or the consumer will suffer. It seems to me that both sides will be victims.

The whole summer has passed, we have reached the end of autumn; if you were to ask whether we caught our breath even a little in tourism? That is also a disappointment this year. Looking at the last five years, there has been a significant drop in the number of tourists coming to our country due to the pandemic, earthquakes, and rising prices caused by taxes imposed by the government. Tourism revenues have naturally led to disappointment for investors and those who feed off the sector, primarily taxi drivers and other side sectors.

In the October 23 issue of Tourism Magazine, sector representatives stated in their remarks before the Bosphorus Boat Show Fair that "While the boat and yacht sector is shrinking by nearly 40%, 10% of the shipyards have closed, and 60% are unaware that they have gone bankrupt."

While there is a contraction in all sectors in our country, especially in tourism and agriculture, investors around the world are now dizzy from economic manipulations. One day you see gold has hit the ceiling, then overnight it hits the bottom. People's savings or money in their hands have flown away. The pockets of thousands of small investors have been emptied overnight. It is another system of robbery. With such manipulations played on precious metals, primarily gold, the market and consequently the world economy are rapidly heading towards an inflationary picture. In other words, the claim that gold will reach five-digit figures in Turkey within the next 1 year is what experts foresee and say. For 1 gram of gold, which is in the 5-6 thousand band today, to see 11-12 thousands in 2027. Inflation, like the Corona Pandemic, is taking our country and then the whole world under its influence, and it will continue to do so. If gold is rising, it means inflation is going crazy, and it also means the public is becoming thoroughly impoverished. This is what finance readers are saying. Is this inflationary picture leading the world to a new war? New Year is coming, it seems there is no need to ask fortune tellers about this. The truth is obvious; you cannot hide the sun with mud.

While such a pessimistic picture is emerging, they have made a special dish of fava beans with olive oil today at the Zeynebim Göcekiçi Restaurant, which serves in Göcek, Fethiye. I ordered a plate and ate my meal with plenty of lemon. Although it is not used as much as dried beans and chickpeas, it is an important type of legume for our country.

I do not know if fava beans will lower inflation, but they have many health benefits. In addition to being consumed green in the summer months, they are also consumed dried in winter. It contains plenty of minerals in addition to protein and carbohydrates. Especially in our country, where anemia is common, it is rich in iron, as well as folic acid (folate) and magnesium. It makes a great contribution to strengthening our immune system. It does not tire the intestines like dried beans and chickpeas, and it protects the digestive system. It also contributes to cell renewal, which decreases as we age. Let us not forget these legumes, which are consumed less. Let us not keep them off our tables.

In addition to all these negatives experienced in the world and in our country, let us at least pay attention to our health.

Happy 102nd anniversary to our Republic, the protector and guardian of the poor, the lonely, and the needy.

Prof. Dr. Nurettin DEMİR