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More than two years after the Tunisian revolution, difficult social and economic pressures continue to have serious effects on the food and livelihood security of Tunisia’s population. Unemployment is a key challenge in rural areas – especially in the north-west of the country – with youth and women facing far more problems finding work than adult men. As the largest recipient of migrants in the aftermath of the Libyan crisis, Tunisia is also experiencing growing strains on jobs and resources.

In an effort to improve young women’s and men’s opportunities in rural areas, since 2011 FAO has been working side by side with the Agence de Promotion des Investissements Agricoles (APIA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to help integrate out-of-work youth into the rural labor force, including through the promotion of self-employment.

Making progress towards job creation for young people is crucial, as nearly 40 percent of the population in Tunisia is under the age of 24. Yet, the unemployment rate for those aged between 18 and 29 is high at 30 percent. This lack of opportunities has pushed many young people away from rural areas and small towns, in favour of larger urban areas in the West.

To encourage youth involvement in the agriculture sector, FAO has been training recipients using the Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) methodology. In the specific context of Tunisia, participants are taught fundamental agriculture techniques, as well as cattle, sheep and goat-rearing skills. They are also provided with guidance on how to develop effective business plans to improve their long-term livelihood security.

Siham is 22 years old and lives in the village of Al Khorshof with her parents, three sisters and two brothers. Before she took part in the project, she was unemployed and spent all of her time at home.

With help from FAO, she has designed a plan and applied for a microcredit loan that she hopes will help her start a small business in goat and sheep breeding.

Meanwhile, WFP is providing Siham with cash-for-assets activities that focus on restoring agricultural assets and reducing land erosion. These activities allow her to earn an income while she waits for her loan.

“The project has changed our lives a lot. Before we didn’t eat meat. We bought clothes only once a year and now we can buy clothes and eat better. The project has improved a lot of things for us,” she says.

Through the project, FAO also assists young people to organize into young producers’ associations and cooperatives in order to boost their confidence and achieve better bargaining power, as well as control over prices.

To see how FAO and WFP are working together in Tunisia, watch this video.

To read the article in Arabic, please click here.

Contacts in FAO Tunisia:

Bruno Minjauw: [email protected]

Ahmed Bougacha: [email protected]

Contacts in FAO HQ:

Francesca Dalla Valle: [email protected]

Elisenda Estruch: [email protected]

Ileana Grandelis: [email protected]