New Initiatives and Strengthened Partnerships in Tunisia
3-5 March, Tunis, Tunisia
From 3-5 March 2025, strategic working meetings were held in Tunis between the CIHEAM, institutional actors, and Tunisian partners, highlighting the commitment of the organisation to strengthening its role in the country. The meetings brought together the Secretary-General of the CIHEAM, the directors of the four CIHEAM institutes, and the teams involved in ongoing projects.
Meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture and the Higher School of Agriculture
The CIHEAM delegation held key meetings within the Tunisian agricultural sector. On 3 March, an official visit to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Maritime Fisheries provided an opportunity for discussions with the Secretary of State, Mr Hamadi HABAIEB (in charge of water resources), Mr Haikel HECHLEF the Chief of Staff of the Minister, and Mr Chokri ZAIRI, Director of International Cooperation. The discussions focused on reviewing past and current projects, as well as prospects for future collaboration.
Furthermore, the following day, a visit to ESA Mograne (Higher School of Agriculture) brought the delegation togetherwith the Director, Professor Slim Rouz, and research professors. discussions particularly focused on the setting up of a future Center of Excellence in Agronomic Sciences on the campus, with the ambition of establishing it as a regional hub attractingfor students from the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Regional Cooperation: Internal Meetings and Strategic Directions
The internal working meetings held at the CIHEAM offices in Tunis were enriched by the contributions from key figures in the sector. Mrs Zohra Lili Chabaane, President of IRESA and new appointed Delegate of Tunisia to the CIHEAM Governing Board, Mr Elies Hamza, Director of the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (SPA/RAC, UNEP/MAP) and former Minister of Agriculture, and Mrs Faten Khamassi, member of the CIHEAM Advisory Board, highlighted the central role of Tunisia within the CIHEAM and the dire need to strengthen regional cooperation in sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation. The Secretary-General of the CIHEAM then presented the main directions of the CIHEAM 2030 Strategic Plan, focusing on the organisation's priorities in training, research, and cooperation to support the sustainability of Mediterranean agri-food systems.
These discussions provided an opportunity to review several ongoing projects such as TANIT ("TANdem Italo-Tunisien" for food security), Bioterritoires (constitution of territories combining agriculture and ecosystem conservation), NEMO (for the development of coastal communities) and NATAE (agroecological transition in North Africa). Participants discussed the operational challenges encountered in the implementation of these projects and identified best practices that can be replicated in other CIHEAM member countries.
Strengthening Ties with CIHEAM Alumni
A highlight of the meeting was the encounter with Tunisian alumni who had undertaken training at the CIHEAM. Among them were Saber Ben Mbarek, an expert in value chain development and consultant, who has been collaborating with the CIHEAM Bari for nearly 20 years, Amine Dallali, a former student of the Master's programme "Open Innovation and Youth Entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean Agri-food Sector," Ines Stambouli, a student at the CIHEAM Chania involved in work on gender and strengthening the place of women, and Ms Imtinene Jilani, Assistant Professor of Crops cultivation at INAT.
These experiences highlighted the impact of the CIHEAM training programmes on the professional paths of its graduates and provided an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen the alumni network to foster experience sharing and collaboration opportunities.
Field visit to ESA Mograne: more info
Some of CIHEAM’s Projects in Tunisia: Bioterritoires, Devlok, NATAE, NEMO KANTARA, NEMO HOUT, Start-Up 10, TANIT.