Tunisia, the smallest country of North Africa, is bordered in the north and east by the Mediterranean

Sea, and is also known as a Maghreb country. Tunisia’s population is slightly above 10 million. Both
Arabic and French are spoken. Tunisia’s capital is Tunis. The country comprises 24 governorates,
which are divided into 264 districts (mutamadiyat). The districts are further sub-divided into
municipalities (shaykhats) and sectors (imadats).

Context
The climate of Tunisia is temperate in the northern, mountainous region, with cool moist winters and
hot, dry summers. Overall, it is warm throughout the year. The central region of the country is hot
and dry plain while the southern part is desert. Several salt lakes exist in the northern part of the
Sahara (desert). Average annual rainfall is about 1,520 mm, mostly confined to the mountainous
region.
The agriculture sector of Tunisia is of great economic importance making up to 12.6 percent
contribution to the national GDP. About 66 percent of the cultivable area receives less than 400 mm
rain per year. In 2009, Tunisia had reportedly about 516,000 farms and 87 percent of them were of
less than 20 hectares size. About 8 percent of the farmers own more than half of the cultivable land
whereas about 62 percent are smallholders with less than 10 hectares each. Approximately 25 percent
of the rural population is landless. Main cereal crops grown are wheat and barley. Olive is grown as
commercial crop, as its oil is exported. The fruits grown include grapes, citrus and dates, and
vegetables include tomatoes, potatoes, onion, pepper and artichoke. Farmers rear cattle, sheep,
goats, camels and chickens for meat and milk consumption. Organic farming has gained significant
popularity among the farmers during the last ten years.

Tablica

History of Extension and the enabling environment

After Tunisia became a French protectorate in 1881, the French progressively took over administrative
responsibilities for many sectors including agriculture. Under the colonial rules, French settlers and
commercial companies acquired substantial farm lands including those which were under religious
trust or tribal common ownership. Apart from the unrest among Tunisians caused by this policy, the
production of olive groves and vineyards went up.
In 1897, a livestock laboratory was established, followed by the establishment of Colonial School
of Agriculture in 1898. In 1913, Botanic Service of Tunisia formed, and in 1924, an oceanographic
station was set up at Salammbo.
After gaining independence in 1924, Tunisia established several agricultural research institutes.
There is, however, little information available on the subject of agricultural extension. Excessive
government control on all aspects of agricultural sector did not allow non-public and civil society
institutions to flourish nor could it fully exploit the potential of the sector.
Starting around late 1980s, when Tunisia’s 7th Development Plan was in its last phase, agriculture,
and agricultural extension in particular, did receive due attention from policy makers. In 1989,
Extension Territorial Cells (CTVs) were created at the regional level. Following a study done in 1987
and complimented by other successive studies, the Education, Research and Extension Directorate
(DERV) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources was abolished in 1990, and was replaced
by two separate national level government institutions namely Agency for Agricultural Extension and
Training (AVFA), and Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (IRESA). The
implementation of a five-year national agricultural extension development project, co-financed by
the World Bank, started in June 1991 within the framework of the 8th Development Plan. The project
introduced a few institutional reforms.
In 1994, extension services were provided by certain institutions directly under the Ministry
of Agriculture and Water Resources, specialized autonomous agencies for commodities (such as
vegetables, cereals, wine, olive oil and irrigation), and semi-professional organizations covering
vegetables, citrus and other fruits, dates, poultry products and grape vine. Over 90 percent of the
extension services, however, were provided by the Ministry, which had about 650 Extension Units
spread across Tunisia, but with high concentration in the northern region.
Several donors, notably the World Bank, provided financial and technical assistance to Tunisia to
strengthen agriculture in general and extension and research in particular. Four main projects
namely Agricultural Research and Extension Project (1990–1997), Agricultural Sector Investment
Project (1993–2000), Northwest Mountainous Areas Development Project (1993–2001) and National
Rural Finance Project (1995–2001) were financed by the World Bank, and all of them had direct or
indirect influence on the development of agricultural extension in the country. The objective of
the Agricultural Research and Extension Project was to improve the institutional framework of these
services, mainly by creating coordinating agencies for research and extension, strengthening regional
facilities, and improving links between research and extension. Some other donors that have provided
financial and/or technical assistance to Tunisia include European Union (EU), African Development
Bank (AfDB), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations
Development Program (UNDP), International Labor Organization (ILO), International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD), German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), Swiss
Foundation for Technical Cooperation (Swisscontact), Japan, France and USA.
The top priority that the Tunisian Government has assigned to agricultural extension is evident from
the fact that the country’s president chaired a cabinet meeting in 2010 to discuss just
the agricultural extension system. Decentralization and privatization of extension have been
experimented in the country.

Major Institutions Providing Extension/Advisory Services

Public Institutions
Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources
In spite of some efforts made at privatization of decentralized extension services, the Ministry
of Agriculture and Water Resources remains the main public service provider in extension. The
organizational structure of these extension services, as reported in 2004, is as follows.

 National level

The Agricultural Extension & Training Agency (AVFA) (Agence de la Vulgarisation et de la Formation
Agricoles) has overall responsibility for extension services. The agency, which comprises the following
five directorates, supports, coordinates and supervises field extension activities:

 Directorate of Agricultural Operations;

 Directorate of Supervision of Professional and Private Agricultural Extension;
 Directorate of Agricultural Extension Support and Training;
 Directorate of Fisheries Extension and Training; and
 Directorate of Technical Pedagogy.

The staff based at the national level is required to perform the following functions:

1. Conceptualization and implementation of agricultural extension policy in line with the

Development Plans’ guidelines;
2. Elaboration, follow-up and evaluation of agricultural extension programs;
3. Coordination of field extension services through pedagogical and logistic support;
4. Production and dissemination of printed technical documents and audio-visual materials;
5. In-service training of various categories of the extension staff; and
6. Raising awareness among farmers and their organizations with the objective of strengthening and
encouraging them to get involved in extension actions.

 Regional and field levels

Regional Agricultural Development Commissions (CRDAs) have responsibility for extension in their
respective regions. The CRDAs perform their functions through the following field institutional
mechanism:

 Division of Extension and Promotion of Agricultural Production (DVPPA): Responsibilities:

planning, organization and follow-up of extension and training. Activities: collaboration with CRDA
districts, technical services and regional subject-matter specialists to ensure necessary support to
extension activities.
 24 Coordination Units (UCs);
 183 Territorial Extension Cells (CTVs):

Responsibilities: assistance to the regional level extension staff in planning and organizing their
activities through provision of transport and equipment; technical support and follow-up; and

 844 Agricultural Radiance Centers (CRAs):

Responsibilities: diffusion of information and options regarding improved technologies among farmers;
awareness raising and training of farmers in the organization of cooperatives, associations, etc.;
assistance to farmers’ groups as needed.

Tablicaa

 Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (Institution de le Recherche

et de l’Enseipnement Superieur Agricoles)

The Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (IRESA) is a national level
organization within the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, which is responsible
for agricultural research and higher education in Tunisia. IRESA does not directly provide extension
services to the farmers but does play an important role as one of the components of its
mandate in “promoting agricultural research through the establishment of linkages
between agricultural research and higher education institutions on the one hand and, on the other
hand, agricultural extension and the producers”. IRESA comprises, among other organizational
arms, four directorates and one of them has responsibility for dissemination of innovations and forging
of linkages between research and extension. All seven Regional Directorates of IRESA called Poles
of Agricultural Research and Development (PRRD), created in 1995, also liaise with extension
institutions in their respective regions.

 National Institute of Agronomy of Tunisia (Institute National Agronomique de

Tunisie)

The National Institute of Agronomy of Tunisia (INAT) is the leading institution of higher
learning in agriculture. Other academic institutions include five schools of agriculture, and the
National School of Veterinary Medicine (ENMV). INAT does not provide extension services, per se, but
it is of importance for extension due to its academic programs in agricultural sciences, and training
programs for agriculturists. This institute has about 80 hectares of agricultural land close to the
village of Morang, which is used for research and other agricultural operations.
Private Sector
Since long, the Tunisian Government’s policy has been to modernize its agriculture sector through
liberalization and mechanization. Farming mechanization has led to the creation of larger farms due to
replacement of farm laborers by machinery, as well as an increase in the migration of rural people to
urban areas. In spite of an agricultural sector adjustment program implemented in Tunisia, under
which the entry of private sector in various aspects including extension was encouraged, the private
sector in agriculture has not yet developed enough with the exception of some private
financing in activities like export of olive oil. Presently, there is no private company that provides
significant extension and advisory services to the farmers.

Non-governmental organizations
Tunisia has a considerable number of NGOs, but none is involved in extension work for farmers.
Examples of a few national NGOs engaged in women empowerment, environment protection, and
sustainable development are as follows:

 Association Femme et Development (Association for Women and Development)

 Association Tunisie-Mediterranee pour le Development Durable (Tunisian-Mediterranean
Association for Sustainable Development)
 Association des Responsables de Formation et de Gestion Humaine dans les
Enterprises (ARFORGHE – Association of Professionals in Human Resources)
 Association pour la Protection de l’Environnement et du Developpement Durable (Association for
Environment Protection and Sustainable Development)

Farmers-based associations, cooperatives and societies

There is no association of farmers in Tunisia, which is financially independent. The only major
farmers’ association is l’Union Tunisienne de l’Agriculture et de Peche (UTAP - The Tunisian
Association for Agriculture and Fishery), which is almost entirely financed by the Ministry
of Agriculture and Water Resources, with some contribution coming from certain other bodies and
farmers. UTAP, established in 1950, represents farmers’ interests through organization of national and
international fairs, exhibitions, and promotion of partnerships. The association has representatives and
commodity federations (such as for cereals, dates, citrus, tomatoes, olive oil, etc.) in each
governorate (province), and helps farmers in forming cooperatives for obtaining farm inputs.
The formation of cooperative farms and agricultural cooperatives started in Tunisia in 1950s.
During 1960s, the government amalgamated, as a part of land restructuring reforms, a large number
of farms to operate as producer cooperatives. Taking the notice of poor performance
of agricultural cooperatives, the government embarked upon their privatization in 1992. Around
1996, about 60 percent of the milk production in Tunisia was being marketed by cooperatives.
Documents covering the subject of agricultural cooperatives during 1960s and 1970s are there, but
there is little information available about their current number and performance. A Mutuelle Agricole
Sidi Bouzid (Sidi Bouzid Cooperative) has been mentioned, which is active in olive oil, almonds and
organic farming. Also, there are about 30 groupements de development
agricole (agricultural development groups) of farmers engaged in organic agriculture in Tunisia.
More than 10 societes mutuelles (co-operative societies) for organic products were
established in 2010 within the framework of Inter-professional groupings for vegetables, fruits,
legumes, bee-keeping, poultry and rabbit products, meat and milk.
 TRAINING OPTIONS FOR EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS
Pre-service education in agricultural disciplines including extension may be pursued at the Institute
National Agronomique de Tunisie (INAT - National Institute of Agronomy of Tunisia), which is the
principal academic institution offering degree programs in agriculture. Five schools
of agriculture and the National School of Veterinary Medicine (ENMV) also offer diploma programs.
Knowledge and skills of extension professionals in Tunisia are updated through frequent technical and
pedagogical training. During 2003-2004, as many as 1,909 men and women extension staff
received in-service training.
For in-service training, extension professionals could make arrangements with INAT, schools
of agriculture, National School of Veterinary Medicine (ENMV) or with Institution de le Recherche et
de l’Enseipnement Superieur Agricoles (IRESA - The Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher
Education). IRESA comprises an elaborate network of research institutes, academic institutions and
labs spread throughout the country, which can offer in-service training on technical subject-matter.
INFO-MEDIARIES AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)
FOR AGRICULTURE AND EXTENSION
According to the World Bank, in 2011, the number of mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100
people) in Tunisia was 116.93. During the same year, the number of internet users (per 100
people) in the country was 39.1. The Ministry of Communication Technology and Transport has
overall responsibility for the development of ICT in Tunisia. The National Observatory
of Agriculture (ONAGRI), located within the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources,
created in 1999, is responsible for performing the following functions:

1. Development of a reliable information system to analyze the situation of agriculture and

fisheries at the national and international level through relevant, reliable and regular indicators.
2. Collection, analysis and processing of information and data on national and international sectors
of agriculture and fisheries.
3. Dissemination of information and data collected among stakeholders including policy makers,
planners, researchers, producers, exporters and others (the dissemination of information and data
is ensured through an information network comprising a website, intranet and internet website).

Around early 1999, the Indigenous Soil and Water Conservation (ISWC) Project in Tunisia introduced
an innovative weekly radio program, “Agriculture and Innovation.” Farmers were invited to present
their innovations, which were debated by researchers, training specialists and development agents.
Sometimes, all parties sat together and at other times specialists participated through telephones.
Institution de le Recherche et de l’Enseipnement Superieur Agricoles (IRESA - The Institution
of Agricultural Research and Higher Education) has set up a national network of agronomic
education and research called AGRINET. The network provides Internet-related services, such as
intranet and electronic mail. Technical directorates and Agricultural Development Committees are
connected to AGRINET through the Internet. An agronomic scientific research information
database in Tunisia called BISRAT has been established in the country.
A program called E-Mediat in Tunisia focuses on capacity building of NGOs and civil society
organizations through strategic use of social media and the development of a communication strategy
based on new media technologies. The program provides training to over 60 NGOs and relevant
organizations through its three training centers located in Tunis, Sfax and Kairouan.