Enda Inter-Arabe, in partnership with the French Development Agency, launched Souk Al Kahina on Saturday during the SIAMAP 2021 trade fair. This is the first entirely Tunisian label certifying fair trade products.

Mohsen Boudjebel, former Secretary of State for Agriculture and current CEO of Boudjebel SA VACPA, highlights the structural issues of Tunisian agriculture.

These issues lie in water and land. Regarding land, there is fragmentation of agricultural land due to inheritance, which means that the average size of a farm today is only 6 hectares.

There is also a problem of soil erosion and loss of fertility. As for water, Tunisia is currently exploiting 85% of its water resources.

Water is becoming increasingly scarce, and the last 15% is the hardest to exploit. Future prospects are not optimistic: "Climate change predicts +2°C by 2050. There is also an aging farming population, with more than 50% of farmers over the age of 60." For Boudjebel, the primary goal is food security.

Rural exodus is intensifying, and territorial balance is under threat. "Today, after Covid-19, the drought has lasted for 4 years. The situation is dramatic, especially for small farmers," he said. He continued: "The poverty rate increased from 15% to 26% after Covid-19.

A social policy is needed to help farmers. Agriculture accounts for 18% of jobs. Women represent 70% of the workforce, but they are paid 50% less. This is where fair trade will help restore balance for agricultural workers." Hanen Missaoui, project director.

Souk Al Kahina at Enda Inter-Arabe defines fair trade: “Fair trade, according to the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), is a commercial partnership based on dialogue, transparency, and respect, aimed at achieving greater fairness in international trade.” Fair trade started globally 20 years ago, and 90% of fair trade products are labeled organic.

In Tunisia, it began 10 years ago for export products. Tunisia is a pioneer in local fair trade in the MENA region and Africa. Souk Al Kahina supports community and social projects.

Its specifications are comprehensive. It guarantees equal pay for men and women, job insurance, employment contracts, and CNSS (Social Security).

There are future projects for a Tunisian organic label. A co-financing partnership with AFD has already made the project a reality in three pilot areas: Nabeul, Sidi Bouzid, and Le Kef. Kheireddine Kahia, Agricultural Strategy Director at Enda Tamweel, talks about project financing. "There is a problem with agricultural financing in Tunisia. For a loan, the banking sector requires conditions that farmers do not meet, so they do not have access to funding.

In Tunisia, there are 516,000 agricultural operators, 80% of whom are small farmers.

In 2007, Enda Tamweel chose to finance agricultural projects related to animal production, then moved to plant-based products in 2010." There are 30% of farmers among all projects financed by Enda Tamweel. The financing model is inclusive. It requires moral guarantees.

From 2007 to September 2021, 135,000 farmers benefited from 25,000 loans, totaling 1.725 billion TND. According to a 2015 AFD study, 70% of loans in Tunisia were granted by Enda Tamweel.

In the long term, Enda Tamweel has a sustainability objective. In fact, Enda supports green financing. Indeed, the cost of irrigation, waste treatment, and electricity is increasing significantly. This is why Enda supports recycling waste and solar pumping.