Tunisia’s quest to achieve food security by 2035:  A policy recommendation

TUNISIA – A recent report by the Tunisian Institute for Strategic Studies (ITES) has urged the country to craft a comprehensive food policy to fortify its food security by 2035, given the growing global food crisis arising.

Titled “Food Security in Tunisia to 2035,” the report underlines the numerous challenges plaguing Tunisia’s food system.

These encompass heightened reliance on volatile global markets, mounting pressure on natural resources, land fragmentation, ageing farming demographics, waning interest among young workers, and inadequate access to modern agricultural technologies.

ITES considers it crucial to devise a comprehensive vision of Tunisia’s food security by 2035, to establish an inclusive, sustainable and innovative food system that is resilient to shocks and climate change and less dependent on the external world.

The main goal is to “ensure sustainable food availability that is less dependent on imports,” which means setting up a cross-cutting, cross-ministerial institutional structure responsible for food security.

ITES also recommends stepping up research and innovation to improve food security, and repositioning government intervention as a mediator and strategic regulator in the food system.

The aim is also to “improve storage and distribution channels and logistical conditions, by equipping each region with suitable markets (wholesale and municipal), increasing the number of direct sales outlets from producer to consumer, and setting up digital platforms and digitising storage and distribution channels to increase the transparency of commercial transactions and combat speculation.”

The ITES also calls for improving conditions of access to finance, and insurance, encouraging investment in agriculture and the agri-food sector and reducing losses and recovering food waste.

The call comes after recently, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS)  signed funding contracts worth 8.71 million euros (US$9.4 million) to boost the cultivation of cereals in Tunisia.

This new financial boost was provided by the European Union (EU) as part of the “Support for Sustainable Development in the Agriculture and Artisanal Fishing Sector in Tunisia (ADAPT)” program implemented over the period 2020-2028. 

The contracts were signed on February 12 between the agency and 4-grain collectors mandated by the Cereals Office. The approved grain collectors include COSEM, SOSEM, Comptoir Multiservices Agricoles (CMA), and SSCC.

“This initiative is part of a desire for direct financial support for producers, making aid more accessible and contributing to the promotion of sustainable and resilient agriculture in the face of climate challenges,” read the report.

According to the partners, the agreements would not only allow efficient distribution of resources but also facilitate access to modern agricultural technologies and practices.

As much as Tunisia relies heavily on imports to sustain its domestic consumption of cereals, the country has ramped up efforts to improve local production to reduce overreliance on imports and promote localization. 

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