INNOVATIONS INSTITUTIONNELLES FACE À LA CRISE POUR UNE MEILLEURE ADOPTION DES INNOVATIONS TECHNIQUES DES CEREALES IRRIGUEES EN TUNISIE

N° ISBN - 978-2-7380-1284-5International audienceThe global economic crisis lived in 2007, related to the sharp rise in prices of cereal on the world market, has induced a doubling of the imported cereal invoice. This situation has constrained authorities to encourage the development of irrigated cereals as technical alternative to the weak and fluctuating yields. This paper aims to analyze the place of technical innovations in improvement yields and the role of institutional innovations to ensure their transfer. At the micro-economic level, an analysis of the socioeconomic and technical factors determining yield cereal was carried using a regression logistic model in five irrigated perimeters of Kairouan (center of the country). The results show positive significant effects of the new techniques adoption, encouragements by providing supplies and high academic level of farmer in improvement yields. The negative effect of water consumption of the farmers with high yield asks the question of the resource's durability. At the macro-economic level, the institutional innovations (structures and approaches), created recently in agricultural innovation system, were presented and analyzed. Those could improve the farm performances, but could not modify some socioeconomic factors related to the farmers and their families. The authority is the only guarantee of the innovation and its transfer. Efforts should be focused on a closed extension and targeted population taking into account the specific needs of each group in order to ensure a better transfer of the technical innovations. This activity of innovation transfer is now still complex and the participation of the profession is emergent

Impact of the food safety policies on the reduction of poverty in Tunisian rural areas

The observed trend of decreasing poverty in Tunisian rural areas, where agriculture is still dominated by family and where illiteracy rate and family size are high, questions may be raised about the economic policies adopted by the state. This article puts the analyses of these policies in the framework of food safety issue as food and poverty are tightly related and as food safety objective is multi-sectorial and multi-disciplinary. In economic development plans, food safety objective took the place of self-sufficiency. The analysis of food safety policy is based on a macro-economic analysis of the offer (policies of production pricing and subsidizing, investment policies) and demand (Policies of consumption subsidies and consumer prices) as well as the policies of fight against poverty. This analysis covers two periods: before and after the economic reforms of privatization and liberalization of 1987 (PAS: Structural Adjustment Plan). The assessment of these policies shows that poverty fighting programs are numerous and rich in experiences. These policies are more and more based on assistance programs oriented toward productive actions. The liberalization and privatization efforts were reflected by better performance and competitiveness of the agricultural sector. This had a positive impact on the employment, the migration and the availability of food products in rural areas. The self targeting of the subsidies by differentiating the products reduced the budgetary cost of these transfers and enhanced the equity and the nutritional and food situation of the poor people. The higher increase in income of country people and the decrease of subsidies indicate the more and more use of income direct transfers.Poverty, rural area, structure adjustment, food safety, agricultural and food policies., Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty,

A contextual ICT model to explain adoption of mobile applications in developing countries: A case study of Tunisia

In Tunisia, agriculture is the main source of livelihood for more than 75% of small and sub sistence farmers with minimal use of technology. The use of information and communication technology (ICT),such as mobile applications, represents a pertinent opportunity for these smallholders to access agricultural innovation and market information and improve their farming technologies and farm management. Thus, ICT can act as a replacement to foster access to innovation for this category of farmers. Unfortunately, the underuse of mobile applications has contributed to low and slow adoption of agricultural innovation and conse quently the benefits of this technology have not been attained. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting the adoption of Short Message Service (SMS) through a con textual ICT model for livestock, olive crop, and beekeeping. Data were collected from 200 small-scale beekeepers, 225 olive growers, and 140 livestock breeders selected in Jen douba, Kairouan, and Zaghouan in Tunisia. The objective of this paper is to examine the fac tors that influence mobile applications using the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique, for livestock, olive crop, and beekeeping agricultural activities. The results showed that the final ICT-induced structural models were highly predictive of the use of SMS and its increased adoption. Factors affecting the use of SMS differed according to the farming system. The major perceived factor affecting the use of SMS was ‘observability’ for livestock farmers, ‘compatibility’ for olive growers, and ‘information quality’ for beekeepers. Understanding these factors by taking into account the specificity of the agricultural activity leads to a better understanding of the adoption of ICT tools by smallholder farmers in Tunisi

Coping Strategies and Perceived Effects in Response to Climate Shock Exposure: Household resiliency toward food insecurity related to drought in central Tunisian rural communities

Climate change exacerbated droughts by making them more frequent that increased risks of food insecurity faced by rural families in arid areas. Adopting coping mechanisms are necessary to reduce the vulnerability of rural agricultural communities and enhance their resilience to climate change. The main objectives of this paper are i) to assess effectiveness of the adopted coping strategies in rural areas by measuring resilience properties of household livelihoods and ii) to identify their key drivers. we will measure. A cross-sectional survey among 671 sample households was conducted in Kairouan and Zaghouan. To understand the key drivers of each livelihood coping strategy and compare different livelihood strategies we used an updated version of we used and updated the resilience analysis framework. A special attention was given understand how household-level characteristics correspond to household coping strategies towards an identification and assessment of the coping mechanisms adopted by farmers to mitigate the impact of drought on their livelihood and food security. Results showed income and food access, assets possession, access to basic services, adaptive capacity, and social safety nets have positive and significant effect on farm households’ resilience to food insecurity. Climate change and stability have a negative and significant effects. This could be due to the negative effect of the climate change especially drought on the household resilience

Contraintes et Défis de la Transition Agroécologique Comme Perçus par les Agriculteurs en Tunisie

Global food systems are moving away from the goals of sustainable development. In addition to the problems of undernourishment and inequity, these systems contribute to the degradation of natural resources, environmental pollution, and the loss of biodiversity. In this context, several initiatives are being launched by international bodies such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in order to establish more equitable and ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable systems. The agro-ecological transition is seen to change towards sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. However, this transition faces many institutional, social, technical, economic, and environmental obstacles and challenges. The main objective of this study is to determine and understand these obstacles and to identify the factors that inhibit this agro-ecological transition in the Tunisian context. The study is based on the convictions of farmers, who represent not only the first link in the production chain but also the weakest link. The research methodology is based on a participatory approach and qualitative analysis. Focus groups, workshops and an open-ended survey were conducted with farmers in the north-eastern region of Tunisia, where the mixed crop-livestock system is omnipresent. A literature review preceded and accompanied the field study and the analysis of the results. This work was carried out within the framework of the "Agroecology" initiative launched by the CGIAR and implemented in Tunisia by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). The results of this study reveal many constraints perceived by farmers, mainly related to the climatic conditions, the institutional framework (notably the lack of incentive policies), the lack of financing mechanisms and the complexity of the acceptance and adoption of technical innovations at the farm level (lack of information, failure of extension services, etc.). The results also reveal the importance of using socio-technical systems analysis to better understand and address the root causes behind the issues blocking agro-ecological transitions in Tunisia. This diagnosis contributes to the identification of required actions and to generate the necessary recommendations for decision-makers to stimulate the agro-ecological transition. This communication occurred during the 20th International Scientific Day of INRGREF in Tunis, Tunisia “Sustainable Ecosystem Management for Agroecological Transition and Food Security” (10-11 October 2023)

Business model identification in the selected value chains in the Northwest of Tunisia: Case of Kef and Siliana

The report describes the approach used to co-identify potential Business Models through the integration of HLPE’s agroecological principles in a variety of Value chains co-selected in the Agroecological Living Landscape ‘Kef-Siliana Transect’, Northwest Tunisia

Value chain analysis and actors mapping: Case of Tunisia

The objective of this report is to analyze, mapping and select the main value chains with potential to integrate the agroecological principles in Tunisia. Based on the secondary data, rapid value chain analysis, focus group discussions at the living labs and participatory approach with the main stakeholders, three value chains were identified in Siliana and Kef governorates: olive oil, sheep meat and honey. The VC assessment according to agroecological principles conducted with the main actors places the olive oil VC as the major value chain with agroecological character. In this sense, an olive oil business model was proposed to encourage the olive producers of SMSA to produce a labeled olive oil to improve their revenues, enhance livelihoods and create a system of values that includes land (terroir)

Scoping study report on potential existing value chains in the North-West region of Tunisia

The objective of this report is to select the main value chains with potential to integrate the agroecological principles in the Northwest of Tunisia. A descriptive analysis on the two governorates chosen was first made, then 4 focus group discussions were organized with local farmers associations. The VC assessment according to agroecological principles conducted with the main actors places the olive oil VC as the major value chain with agroecological character

Can Small-Scale Dairy Farm Profitability Increase with the Use of Solar Energy Technology? An Experimental Study in Central Tunisia

The dairy sector in Tunisia is based on small-scale farms, with 81% of the breeders owning less than five cows. On these farms, milk is stored in plastic containers, resulting in post-production losses estimated at 10% in the studied region. Due to high temperatures, the present paper aims to study the implementation of an innovative solar-powered milk cooling system in Central Tunisia and assess its profitability for dairy farmers. The methodology is based on a comparison of three small-scale farm business models: a farm without any milk cooling equipment, a farm using an innovative milk cooling technology, and a farm using an electrical cooling tank. Results showed the significance of milk cooling in reducing milk rejection to 0%, leading to a total production of 6400 L per cow by the fifth year. Additionally, milk sales were found to increase due to the premium of 0.010 TND/L for cooled milk paid. In addition, farms utilizing solar-powered milk cooling technology exhibited superior profitability in terms of financial indicators. This research offers a sustainable energy solution for milk cooling on small farms, specifically addressing the challenges faced by these farms located in isolated areas where access to electricity is limited and the availability of milk cooling equipment is lacking

Transition Pathway Toward Agroecology in Agroforestry Systems: Case of Kesra

The mountain of Kesra is located at an altitude of 1245 m with a very uneven relief. It belongs to the upper semi-arid bioclimatic stage. The range of soils is very diverse due to the extreme variability of substrates, climates, and plant species. Despite the richness of natural resources and heritage, and the ancestral know-how of local populations, the region of Kesra, continues to suffer from economic and social underdevelopment. Standard applications, which do not take into account the specificities of each area, often do not achieve the objectives of ecodevelopment and sustainability. The application of a holistic agroecological transition approach in this rural mountain area requires an inclusive co-design which takes into consideration the socio-ecological context (Natural resources use, agricultural practices, agroforestry, etc.). So, the main objective was to define and build context-specific agroecological transition pathways throw a solid methodology which combines literature review, consultation, and focus group discussions. The visioning approach was conducted with 12 farmers from the community to reflect on the state of agriculture in Kesra and to identify a desirable future of agriculture in 10 years (2022-2032) from their own perspective. This vision was discussed and debated referred to the 13 principals of agroecology. The AE transition pathway identified in Kesra suggests an emphasis on the diversification of local and natural based products to insure synergies between system components as a basis of a swift transition. The resulting impact pathway promotes increasing resilience to market and climate change, economic autonomy, diversifying market, and promotion of local products. Based on this approach and other research activities a set of actions will be executed during 2023 and 2024 to monitor the co-designed transition pathways and to scaling-up the agroecological transition in the mountainous areas like Kesra