Geospatial information for sustainable food systems

The National Consultative Workshop on implementation of the Soil Land and Water Information System (SoLaWISe) in Tunisia

The National Consultative Workshop on implementation of the Soil Land and Water Information System (SoLaWISe) initiative was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Tunis from October 24th to 27th, 2023. Tunisia serves as a pilot country for the SoLaWISe initiative, which aims to enhance crop yields sustainably while minimizing the impact on soil, land, and water resources amidst the challenges of climate change. SoLaWISe offers digital solutions for the management of soil, land, and water, with a particular focus on implementation in Tunisia's cereal sector. In the initial phase, suitability maps were generated for four priority crops (wheat, barley, olives, and dates) to assess potential production and yield gaps, considering future climate scenarios. The workshop's objectives included presenting the SoLaWISe initiative to strengthen national technical capacities in land cover and crop mapping, as well as socio-economic survey. Participants were introduced to the methodology and data requirements (such as land cover, soil information, crop requirements, and crop calendar) for the generation of land suitability maps and engaged in discussions regarding preliminary findings. A presentation on the World Agriculture Watch approach was followed by interactive discussions aimed at validating survey areas within the cereal production zone and identifying key issues to be addressed through a questionnaire. Two days were dedicated to training specialized teams, covering geospatial tools on one hand and the survey questionnaire on the other.