Higher education institutions provide numerous economic, social, and cultural contributions to our country and their respective regions, playing a significant role in regional development, particularly in fields such as health, agriculture, and technology.
Ardahan University is reviving the cultivation and harvest of kavılca wheat, a 13,000-year-old indigenous ancestral seed unique to the region. The wheat, planted across 100 acres of land on campus, is milled into flour and transformed into various products by the university’s gastronomy and culinary arts department.
Additionally, efforts are underway at a newly established facility to produce value-added goods such as pasta, noodles, and bulgur from kavılca wheat. Since 2021, the university has provided training and support to nearly 600 farmers on cultivating this ancient grain.
Council of Higher Education President Erol Özvar emphasized that universities should act as locomotives for regional development, praising Ardahan University’s efforts as a valuable example.
“One of the most important missions of our higher education institutions is to contribute to the economic, social, and cultural development of their regions,” Özvar stated. “We expect our universities, as drivers of regional progress, to develop innovative practices in strategic fields like agriculture. Ardahan University’s revival of the 13,000-year-old kavılca wheat and its support for local farmers is an exemplary initiative.”
Ardahan University Rector Prof. Dr. Biber: “Reviving Kavılca Wheat Adds Economic and Socio-Cultural Value”
Ardahan University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Biber highlighted that shrinking natural resources, population growth, climate change, and genetic modifications in food threaten agricultural lands, production, and food security.
“As a university, we have taken it upon ourselves to preserve our ancestral heritage, kavılca wheat,” Biber said. “By establishing a cultivation area on our campus, we have successfully grown and harvested this ancient, non-GMO wheat variety. Reviving our geographically indicated kavılca wheat will add both economic and socio-cultural value to this indigenous and historic grain.”
Low in Carbohydrates, High in Protein
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Arslan, one of the project leaders, explained: “Through our R&D efforts, we aim to enhance the value of wheat suited to regional climate conditions. Our university has set up a facility to produce pasta, noodles, and bulgur.”
Arslan noted that they are working to ensure sustainable production, preserve the grain’s added value, and expand its market share through best agricultural practices and watershed conservation.
Dr. Akif Göktuğ, a faculty member at Ardahan University’s Food Processing Department, emphasized that kavılca wheat is nutritionally valuable, being low in carbohydrates and high in protein, making it highly beneficial for health.
https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Haberler/2025/ata-tohumu.aspx
