Tunisia seeks sustainable agriculture to curb cereal import dependence

Tunisia imports roughly 60 % of its cereal needs, amounting to about 32 million quintals annually, while chronic water stress and climate variability threaten domestic production. Experts warn that without structural reforms—such as modernising farming chains, improving water management and expanding credit for farmers—the country’s food‑security gap will widen.

In response, the BIOREST project, funded by Swiss cooperation and implemented by the FAO, is supporting the organic date sector, a key export pillar. The programme introduces alert‑management tools, farmer training and integrated pest‑management practices to address recent pesticide‑residue detections and to strengthen the sector’s resilience to climate change.

Both initiatives highlight the need for a coordinated national strategy that combines research on resilient seed varieties, targeted investment in strategic crops and regional cooperation to achieve a more autonomous and environmentally sustainable agricultural system.