The Future of Food Security in Tunisia: Challenges and Opportunities
The Tunisian Institute of Strategic Studies (ITES), in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, has published a comprehensive study on the future of food security in Tunisia. The report highlights the evolution of the agricultural sector, the threats facing arable land, and the challenges related to environmental changes.
The Decline of the Agricultural Sector
The weight of the agricultural sector in the Tunisian economy has significantly decreased over the decades. While it represented 20.8% of GDP in 1965, it fell to 10.2% in 2020. Including the agro-food sector, this share reaches 13.5%. However, since 2011, the average annual growth rate of the agricultural sector has remained positive (+2.8%), outpacing that of the agro-food sector (+1.4%), according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Environmental Challenges Facing Tunisian Agriculture
Tunisian agricultural land is facing growing environmental challenges, including soil erosion and desertification. Several studies conducted over the past twenty years reveal:
- Water Erosion: Affecting mainly the North and Center of the country, threatening 2.6 million hectares, with over 1 million hectares severely to moderately affected.
- Wind Erosion: Particularly concerning in the Center and South, impacting around 5.5 million hectares.
- Desertification: Severely affecting southern Tunisia, with 25% of productive land heavily affected and 40% exposed to moderate desertification.
- Soil Salinization: Affecting over 30% of irrigated land, equivalent to approximately 100,000 hectares, particularly in the large alluvial plains of the Medjerda, Kairouan, and oases.
Agricultural Land Use in Tunisia
The usable agricultural area (UAA) in Tunisia is estimated at 5.3 million hectares, with 4.9 million hectares (93%) being arable. The remaining 387,000 hectares consist of grazing land and pastures.
