Climate change continues to cause losses and is now a reason for a decline in both productivity and quality of the plants used to make perfumes in Türkiye, experts claim.
Trends in average temperatures, the rise in sea levels, warming oceans, melting ice caps and glaciers, permafrost thaw and other climate variables provide consistent evidence of a warming planet.
In addition, professor Murat Tunçtürk, dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (VYU), said that global warming and climate change have also affected the plants used to make perfume. He noted that extremely hot weather and high-temperature differences between day and night in agricultural areas cause plants to be stressed, resulting in early flowering, premature harvesting and a decrease in the number of harvests made during a year.
"The simplest example of this is roses, which account for 30%-35% of Türkiye's essential oil exports. The rose stores the essential oil in its petals to protect itself in the midday heat, thus protecting itself in hot weather. But the rise in temperatures and drought have caused stress and damage to the plant, hence it cannot fully complete its development and affects the yield," he explained.
Pointing out that the harvesting of plants used in the cosmetic and perfume industry that grow spontaneously in nature is important, Tunçtürk explained: "If the flowers of the plants are to be used, they must be harvested at the beginning of flowering, and if the leaves are to be used, they must be harvested at or just before the flowering period. In addition, animals grazing in meadows, pastures and forests before the season threaten the existence of plants used in perfume production."
"Forest fires, urbanization, plant smuggling and unconscious agricultural practices are a threat to perfume plants collected from nature. We have been seeing the effects of global warming intensely for the last three to four years. There are plants whose growth has decreased by 90% due to drought in the Van Lake basin, many of the flowering plants and geophytes are not seen anymore," Tunçtürk said.
"If the economic return is good, perfume plants can be produced in the greenhouses. It is possible to obtain the same quality product as in the field, but the costs are important," emphasizing the assessments.
Rose and rose oil producer Süleyman Kınacı stated that the most important perfume raw materials in Türkiye are roses and rose oil and that Türkiye meets approximately 55% of the world's rose oil needs, while other essential oils are produced less.
Some 43 plant species used in perfume making in Türkiye have been affected, namely roses, lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, sage, mint, thyme, mountain teas, pelargonium, immortelle, chamomile, lemongrass, basil, anise, coriander, fennel, cumin, marigold, dill, black cumin, tobacco, wormwood, calendula, saffron, iris, hyacinth, daffodil, orchid, lily, juniper, frankincense, cedar, laurel, citrus fruits, pine, fir, mimosa, linden and guelder rose.
Emphasizing that the yield and quality of the essential oils obtained from roses, lavender, thyme and laurel they produce are completely dependent on climatic conditions, he also explained that, "The same low yield in Türkiye is seen in producer countries such as Bulgaria, Iran and Afghanistan."