Mutations récentes, dynamiques actuelles et perspectives de transition des territoires ruraux périurbains en Tunisie

Abstract

Twelve years after the « Jasmine Revolution », Tunisia is going through a deep economic crisis that is particularly affecting rural territories. While the country must promote another agricultural model to respond to popular aspirations in terms of rural employment and food production, this article assesses the prospects for transition of peri-urban rural areas, where the economic integration of family farmers and the organization of food supply networks in Tunisia’s major cities are particularly at stake. To do so, it draws on the results of a fieldwork carried out in Mahrès, on the outskirts of Sfax, second largest Tunisian city, where interviews were conducted with the agricultural services and farmers. By analyzing their discourse, the text highlights the constraints weighing on small farms, and points to several factors limiting the implementation of a territorial transition process that should be based on reorganizing farmers to implement sustainable agricultural practices and meet food demands.

Keywords

• Tunisia
• Sfax
• rural peri-urban
• family farming