Challenges

Tunisia’s economy is encountering major difficulties in various areas as a result of a notable drop in economic growth in 2020 caused by decreased demand from abroad and a decline in industrial production in addition to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly evident in export-focused manufacturing sectors and the hydrocarbon industry.

To improve the coverage rate, export diversification beyond the Tunisian flagship product of olive oil is needed. The agri-food sector accounts for more than 10% of Tunisian exports and is the fourth-largest export sector after the mechanical, electrical, and textile industries. External support is needed to promote the diversification of agrifood exports, including typical Tunisian products. Tunisian authorities have taken steps to promote typical food products and set up origin-linked quality labels such as geographical indications (GIs), but the practical implementation of these labels is insufficient.

UNIDO is supporting two additional countries, namely Egypt and Cameroon, in organizing their national contests of typical products in 2022 and 2023 respectively, to enhance the valorization of the local agrifood heritage and promote the replication of this methodology.

Toward a Solution

The PAMPAT project aims to promote and support the development of traditional, origin-based agrifood products in Tunisia, with a focus on products from disadvantaged regions. UNIDO supports the actors (farmers, new entrepreneurs, cooperatives, processing companies, export companies, etc) of the following four value chains: prickly pears (incl. cosmetic cactus seed oil), pomegranate (incl. set-up of geographical indications), dried tomatoes, products made of dates. The promotion of these types of products can have a number of positive impacts on the country, such as creating decent income for the population, particularly for women, preserving or creating jobs in rural areas, increasing investment in rural regions, standardizing product quality, preserving authentic culture and promoting alternative tourism, and halting rural migration. The project builds on the successes of a previous phase, during which the organization improved the performance, market access and socio-economic conditions of producers in three selected value chains, supported the development of the first Tunisian mapping of typical agro-food products, and organized the first and second editions of the biannual Tunisian Competition of Typical Products.

The PAMPAT project, which is being implemented in Tunisia, focuses on unlocking constraints that hinder the development and market access of the agrifood sector in a holistic manner. The PAMPAT II project aims to structure and promote traditional, origin-based agrifood products in Tunisia, which are understood as a full-fledged economic sub-sector and to enhance the visibility of this sub-sector as a driver of economic growth.

UNIDO has supported several Tunisian Ministries to launch 2022 the first nationwide Tunisian strategy to add value and promote origin-based agrifood products. This strategy is currently being implemented by UNIDO in two Tunisian pilot governorates. Besides focusing on product valorization, promotion and market access, the project is also working on territorial marketing, cultural promotion and gastronomic tourism around typical products. Moreover, the project works on the development of the value chains around prickly pears, dried tomatoes, pomegranates and products made from dates and uses a holistic approach that covers each link of the value chain from the farmer to the export markets. The methodology includes collaboration with various Tunisian institutions and agrifood promotion institutions and facilitates coordination between different national actors. Additionally, lead institutions are designated for each major project component or outcome to ease decision-making and increase ownership. A triangular cooperation model laid the basis for the organization of the first Tunisian Competition of Typical Food Products. The methodology used for the first edition in Tunisia was initially developedin the framework of the biannual Swiss Competition of Typical Food Products and had already been tested in Morocco with UNIDO assistance. Tunisia could hence draw from the experiences gained in Switzerland and Morocco to set-up its own competition.

The activities implemented by the PAMPAT Tunisia project have started being replicated in other countries. The methodology for the mapping of Tunisian typical agri-food products that was developed by the project in 2016, has allowed UNIDO to prepare similar mappings in Egypt and Georgia. Furthermore, the methodology for the Tunisian Competition of Typical Food Products that had been initially developed in Switzerland has now been transferred to Egypt and Cameroun by using specifically Tunisian know-how and expertise. The Egyptian contest took place in 2022 and the Cameroonian contest will be organized at the beginning of 2023.

With the help of Switzerland, an international platform has been set up to facilitate exchanges between the different countries that organize biannual Competitions of Typical Food Products and to encourage the transfer of the model to other additional countries. The Tunisian methodology for the public-private promotion of typical food products is also being currently tested in Egypt.