This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
Hazelnut is one of the most important building blocks of Giresun’s urban identity and local economy. Giresun’s socio-cultural structure, seasonal cycles, and everyday life practices are largely shaped around hazelnut production. In this context, hazelnut is not merely an agricultural product; it also assumes the roles of a spatial organizer and social regulator. On the other hand, the product registered with the geographical indication “Giresun Tombul Hazelnut” holds strategic importance in national and international markets due to its high-quality parameters.
The research by Erdoğan and Ergin (2023) analyzes how Giresun’s urban spaces have been transformed through hazelnut production processes. Developed in accordance with Lefebvre’s theory of “the production of space” and Herod’s approach to “labor geography,” this analysis demonstrates that workers actively participate not only in production processes but also in the formation of urban spaces.
The penetration of hazelnut production into the urban fabric has been examined through temporary spaces (such as sidewalks used for drying) and permanent spaces (hazelnut workshops and storage facilities). This phenomenon reveals that agricultural labor extends beyond rural areas and penetrates the urban texture itself.
Geographical indications are collective quality guarantees that secure the link between a product and a specific region along with its quality attributes. Giresun Tombul Hazelnut was registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office in 2001 and placed under protection by the European Union in 2022.
Data from 2017–2018 on Giresun Tombul Hazelnut reveal that this variety possesses high-quality parameters. The findings indicate:
These data demonstrate that Giresun Tombul Hazelnut possesses superior qualities for both fresh consumption and industrial use.
Hazelnut production does not merely generate economic gains; it also shapes the reproduction of space, labor migration patterns, temporary housing practices, and the organization of daily life. In particular, the spaces used by seasonal workers and patozcu laborers make visible the social dimensions of production. In this sense, hazelnut has become a dynamic element that transforms both labor and space within capitalist production relations.
This study reveals two fundamental dimensions of Giresun hazelnut. First, hazelnut production plays a decisive role in the reproduction of space and offers a unique model within the framework of labor geography. Second, under geographical indication protection, Giresun Tombul Hazelnut is a strategic product exhibiting superior quality characteristics. When considered together, these two dimensions establish Giresun hazelnut as a foundational element of both local development and cultural identity.
Hazelnut Production in the Context of Labor Geography
Production of Space and Labor Agency
Temporary and Permanent Spaces
Characteristics and Geographical Indication Registration of Giresun Tombul Hazelnut
Definition and Significance of Geographical Indication
Pomological and Biochemical Properties
Socio-Economic and Spatial Impacts of Hazelnut Production