Bay leaves, sold at 25 lira per kilogram, are a lifeline for a village's livelihood.

Bay leaves, used in the pharmaceutical, food, chemical, dye, and cosmetic sectors, have become a source of livelihood for the forest villagers in Akseki district of Antalya. In the Sinanhoca neighborhood of Akseki, the harvesting of bay leaves is carried out during a period of approximately 4 weeks in December, and sometimes in January-February, providing income for about 100 families. The bay leaves collected in the square are weighed and bought by firms at 25 lira per kilo to be processed and then exported to Europe. "3,000-dönüm land divided into three parts" With permission from the Akseki Forest Enterprise Directorate, the forested area of approximately 3,000 dönüms is divided into three parts, and bay trees growing naturally within the village boundaries are harvested every three years. At harvest time, villagers, including children, leave their homes at dawn to collect bay leaves from trees in steep slopes and among rocks, stacking the collected bay leaves in sacks on ...