About Hakan Ozan Erzincanlı

MSc. Agricultural Engineer with over 20 years of expertise in agricultural R&D, project management, and social innovation. 

As the founder of 'tar-get' and the visionary behind 'Papas Food,' I focus on food literacy, sustainable production models, and community resilience. 

My career is dedicated to bridging the gap between theoretical agricultural science and practical, scalable solutions for global food challenges.

International Supply Chain Audit for Tesco – Tehran Operations. Focused on food literacy, safety management, and operational efficiency. (Nov 2006)

Roots & Foundation (1976 - 1995)

• 1983 - 1988: Primary education at Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıöver Primary School.

• 1988 - 1993: Secondary education and French preparatory curriculum at Lycée Français Saint-Michel. Developed a multilingual academic methodology.

• 1993 - 1995: High school education at 50. Yıl High School.

• 1995: Graduated from Yeni Dünya College, the final stepping stone before entering Ege University to lay the roots of my future career as an Agroecologist.

Scientific Foundation and Theory (1996 - 2006)

• 1996 - 2001: Bachelor's degree from Ege University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Sciences. Established a fundamental scientific foundation in the fields of agricultural ecology, food systems, and production processes.

BSc Thesis topic: Increasing the Feed Value of Straw

• 1997: First steps in digital content creation and agricultural networking; first website established (http://okuyancoban.tripod.com).

• 2001: Graduated first in his class from Ege University, Department of Animal Sciences, and officially received the title of Agricultural Engineer.  

• 2003: Founded tar-get agricultural research and development enterprise, pioneering the online sale of specialized training modules and projects via CDs. For this purpose, he designed, established, and managed tarimsal.com, which became one of Türkiye's largest corporate agricultural information portals (actively managed for over ten years).  

• 2003: Provided specialized consulting services. Notably, at Kılıç Seafood (a market-leading integrated aquaculture producer), he planned and technically designed their fish feed laboratory infrastructure from scratch, managed equipment procurement, and supported the installation of quality control systems.

• 2003/December : Received an Award of Merit and Certificate in the Necdet Eraslan Project Competition (Energy Science and Technology) with the project "Alternative Energy Source: Biogas".

• 2003 - 2006: Completed a Master's Degree (M.Sc.) in Biotechnology at Ege University, Institute of Science and Applied Sciences.

MSc Thesis topic: Genetically Modified Organisms In Agriculture and Their Certification

Macro Systems and Auditing Era (2004 - 2014)

• 2004 - 2014: Began his career as an Agricultural Certification Specialist and Lead Auditor at USB Certification (USB Accredited Registrar Company), the Turkish branch of an international auditing network.  Fresh and Processed Food Safety Audits: Served as one of Türkiye’s first GLOBALG.A.P. (EUREPGAP) auditors. Conducted over 200 comprehensive agricultural audits and managed food safety/microbiology training modules tailored for products exported to the European market.

• 2008: Participated as the "Agricultural Expert" within a 7-person multidisciplinary architectural team for the Urla-Çeşme-Karaburun Peninsula Idea Project Competition organized by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, winning an Honorable Mention (Mansiyon) award.

• 2008/July : Successfully completed the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety (V5) and IFS Food Safety Standard (V5) auditor expertise trainings delivered by the UK-based global auditing leader NSF-CMi Certification.

• 2009/May - June: Participated in the Green Philosophy and Ecology Seminars organized by the Green Party (Dr. Ümit Şahin), deepening the theoretical foundations of regenerative agriculture and climate resilience.

• 2010: Appointed by NSF International as the official national translator and technical editor for the international Tesco Nurture Standard (Version 10) documentation, ensuring the seamless alignment of global quality parameters with local agricultural supply chain practices.  

• 2012: Undertook the official technical redacting, review, and analysis of the GLOBALG.A.P. Standard V4 official documents on behalf of FoodPLUS GmbH, coordinating the adaptation of macro-regulations into regional agro-economic systems.

• 2013: Published his first book, "Organik Ötesi Tarım" (Beyond Organic Agriculture) (Yeni İnsan Publications). The book provides a rigorous macro-economic and ecological analysis of systemic risks, input dependencies, and supply chain vulnerabilities in conventional industrial food systems, while conceptualizing autonomous, resource-based regenerative production models.

• 2014: Successfully concluded his 10-year corporate tenure at USB Certification. As a Senior Lead Auditor, he left a legacy of over 200 international audits and 50 corporate technical trainings managed across food safety, traceability, microbiology, and EU compliance norms (HACCP, ISO 22000, ISO 9001, GLOBALG.A.P.), elevating his risk analysis and compliance mastery to the highest professional level.  

The Mediterranean Region and Strategic Resilience (2014 - 2018)

• 2014 - 2017: Conducted autonomous entrepreneurship, process optimization, and independent corporate consulting activities in the Mediterranean basin (Antalya/Kaş):

  • 1. Value Chain and Product Consulting: Provided expert consulting focused on improving product quality, optimizing waste rates, and ensuring strict compliance with EU standards in regional fresh and dried fig production processes.

    2. Macro Land and Ecosystem Transformation: Managed projects to transform idle, marginal, and unproductive lands into high-yield, climate-shock-resistant integrated fruit/vegetable production systems based on biological cycles.

• 2012 - 2017 (Moniteur Sportif): Conducted individual and collective autonomous coaching activities in judo, swimming, boxing, scuba diving, and tennis to synthesize physical and mental resilience, strategic positioning, and focus disciplines.

• 2015: Participated in professional stage productions within Tiyatro Bagaj to deepen skills in communication strategies, crisis management, public speaking, and proper body language/voice management; took an active role in the production of "Deli Evi" (House of Madmen) staged at the historic Kaş Ancient Theatre.

• 2016: Won first prize in the traditional Atatürk Run/Race organized by the Republican People's Party (CHP) Kaş District Organization, reflecting a strong commitment to contributing to local social dynamics and collective community activities.

• 2017 - 2018: Served as a volunteer Agricultural Engineer, Biotechnologist, and Quality Management Systems (QMS) Auditor within The Venus Project—an international think tank and design organization that designs sustainable, technology-integrated, and resource-based macro-economic models on a global scale. Contributed to global modeling studies on resource allocation mechanisms, systemic resilience, and sustainability architecture. 

Regulatory Integration and Cooperative Economy (2018 - 2022)

• November 2017 - 2018: Relocated permanently to Brussels (Belgium)—the administrative, legal, and economic heart of the European Union ecosystem. To ensure a smooth transition, he initially arrived alone to establish the foundational infrastructure and secure family housing; six months later, his wife and two sons joined him to complete the family's permanent settlement. Accelerated institutional integration through active participation in the Brussels-based Atelier des Citoyens (Citizens' Workshop) network, examining social sustainability, civic participation models, and collective decision-making mechanisms firsthand.

• 2019: Attained official academic and professional equivalence for higher education diplomas from Türkiye, approved by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. Registered the official title of "Agricultural Technical Guide and Manager" (Orientation Techniques et Gestion Agricole / Bachelier) according to EU standards, formalizing full capability in macro-level EU agricultural regulations, grants, and support mechanisms.

• 2019 (Strategic Collaboration): Provided targeted technical and expertise services within EIT Food projects, assessing regional food system dynamics and laying the initial institutional foundations for his future continental-level expert adjudication roles.

• 2019 (Ongoing): Conducted training and operational guidance workflows on autonomous production processes, urban water management methodologies, and social farming dynamics across urban agricultural farms in the Brussels region.

• 2019 - 2022: Accepted into and participated in the intensive business development program within JobYourSelf (Coop@), an official entrepreneurship and autonomous economic development cooperative supported by the Brussels Regional Government. Designed autonomous, crisis-resilient, and sustainable business models centered on urban agroecology, circular economy, short supply chains (circuit court), and green consulting frameworks, successfully conducting comprehensive cost analyses and market testing.

• 2019 - 2022 (Initiative): Laid the foundations of the autonomous "HakanOzan Naturopathy Initiative", a multidisciplinary framework bridging agriculture, food, and holistic health. Developed a holistic model focusing on the protective effects of chemical-free, regenerative agricultural foods on human metabolism and the immune system.

• 2020: Published his second book, "Combat and Wisdom: Wisdom in the Art of War" (Le Combat et le Sage), synthesizing the dynamic balance, strategic flexibility under pressure, and fluid adaptation of martial arts with macro and micro management systems theories.

• 2021 - 2022: Maintained active membership at the General Assembly organizing committee (AG) level within BEES coop, Brussels’ largest sustainable, participatory, and alternative economic food cooperative, executing systemic, financial, and operational analyses of fair-trade mechanisms, zero-waste logistics, and local community-based food supply security networks.

Social Innovation, Field Experience, and Micro-Initiatives (2022 - 2025)

2022: Provided strategic contributions to the technical and agronomic infrastructure studies of circular ecosystems, regenerative zone design, and local seed bank projects within the Club of Brussels—a prestigious international think tank developing regional transformation models, macro-sustainability policies, and alternative economic structures.

2022: Conducted active volunteering within Action Josaphat (École des devoirs) in Brussels, supporting social resilience and social cohesion initiatives.

September 2022 - April 2025: Served as Chargé de Mission and an Agricultural Naturopathy/Agroecology expert within Asbl Nos Oignons, a Brussels-based urban agriculture and social inclusion organization. Designed and implemented the "guided round table" (table ronde guidée) methodology to optimize knowledge transfer in collective production environments, managing the systemic impacts of agroecological practices on community health and psychosocial resilience mechanisms.

July 2023: Appointed as an Official External Expert (Expert Externe - Appel FRHE) by the Ministère de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles to evaluate the official macro-innovation and research project under the F2P acronym, formalizing expert capabilities in EU funding and grant mechanisms, project eligibility verification, and scientific/technical accreditation processes.

2023 (Ongoing): Membership within the International Association of Therapists (IAOTH) to internationalize and standardize accredited food and agricultural therapy methodologies, establishing a structured corporate framework for agricultural naturopathy approaches.

2023 (Social Innovation): Formulated and executed the "Les Potages de Bruxelles" (hakanozan.be) initiative, a short-supply-chain (circuit court) project testing sustainable local food networks. For 8 consecutive months, successfully tested logistics optimization and circular production models by preparing and distributing weekly soups to over 10 active volunteers across urban farm gardens.

2023 - 2024: Coordinated the "Ashure asbl Initiative" leading a team of 4 volunteers to develop multicultural food resilience and social integration models in Brussels, backed by regional development and innovation institutions including FLTM, FOODUP, Refresh, and ILES asbl.

Radical Practice and Continental Macro-Refereeing (2025 - Present)

• April 2025 - April 2026: Worked full-time as an organic urban gardener and farm worker at the Brussels-based social employment organization Atelier Groot Eiland v.z.w. and its affiliated the CSA Courjette (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. To seamlessly blend theory with radical practice, he engaged in manual soil preparation, installation of complex micro-irrigation (goutte-à-goutte) infrastructures, and composting management. This intensive fieldwork provided firsthand, unmediated insights into the immediate impacts of climate change, storms, and seasonal shocks on short-supply-chain logistics, allowing a direct analysis of systemic vulnerabilities in food security.

• 2026 (Current Missions): Channeling a quarter-century of agronomic expertise and intensive field experience into Europe’s most prestigious food innovation networks:

EIT Food (External Expert): Selected as a Contracted External Expert for the Resilient Agriculture department within the European Union body, EIT Food, undertaking macro-level refereeing, evaluation, and strategic advisory functions for continental agricultural policies, food security visions, and resilience frameworks.

Papas Food Initiative (Founder): Implementing an innovative concept focused on optimizing nutrient density for children, developing sustainable food models resilient to crises and supply chain shocks, and delivering systemic resilience coaching to institutions and ecosystem actors.

Yoake Dojo (Aikido Practice): Continues active Aikido instruction and philosophical research at Yoake Dojo, embedding the discipline of dynamic balance, strategic non-resistance, and crisis-level physical and mental flexibility into modern organizational and systemic frameworks.

(Creation: 12/05/2026, Last update: 18/05/2026)