General information and context: The Living Lab is located in the northern part of Tunisia, in the Bizerte and Ariana regions. Agroforestry is a traditional and strategic land-use system in Tunisia. The Ariana region features an agroforestry mosaic dominated by olive tree–cereal–legume systems, while the Bizerte region, rich in forest and agro-pastoral areas, is a key hub for Tunisian agroforestry.
Main challenges (faced by agroforestry farmers): Agroforestry farmers face challenges linked to soil degradation, water scarcity and climate variability, which reduce productivity and threaten long-term sustainability. They also lack technical support, dedicated funding and a clear institutional framework, limiting adoption and promotion of agroforestry practices.
Opportunities for development and scaling up of agroforestry: Potential for developing and intensifying agroforestry in Tunisia lies in promoting resilient local species and adopting innovative agroecological practices, as well as integrating irrigation and soil management technologies suited to arid climates. Strengthening public policies, providing technical support, structuring value chains and promoting ecosystem services offer important levers for expanding productive and sustainable agroforestry systems.
Objectives / Innovations targeted: The Living Lab targets technical innovations such as new agricultural practices (carob + quinoa), diversified agroforestry systems and digital decision-making tools to optimize natural resource management. Economic innovations include developing new business models based on local products, short supply chains, eco-labels and payments for ecosystem services. Governance innovations focus on strengthening local organizations, facilitating multi-stakeholder cooperation and building participatory training and decision-making mechanisms.
Demo Site 1
General information: The first site is located in Borej Touil (Ariana, Tunisia), which has a subhumid climate and covers 900 m². It consists of carob trees,along with a few olive legume treesandquinoa.
General farming approach: Organic farming
Design of the agroforestry system and field trial: The field trial consists of: Carob monoculture: 3 × 100 m² plots, Carob + quinoa: 3 × 100 m² plots, Quinoa monoculture: 3 × 100 m² plots.
Expected benefits from the agroforestry system: Expected benefits include agronomic, environmental, economic and social aspects.
Monitoring / Targeted ecosystem services: Monitoring focuses on carbon sequestration, agronomic and water-related aspects, environmental parameters and economic profitability.
Demo Site 2
General information: The second site is located in Om Heni, Manzel Bourguiba (Bizerte, Tunisia), which has a subhumid climate and covers 900 m².It consists of carob trees, cereals, and prickly pears with quinoa.
General farming approach: Organic farming
Design of the agroforestry system and field trial: The field trial consists of Carob monoculture: 3 × 100 m² plots, Carob + quinoa: 3 × 100 m² plots, Quinoa monoculture: 3 × 100 m² plots
Expected benefits from the agroforestry system: Expected benefits include agronomic, environmental, economic and social aspects.
Monitoring / Targeted ecosystem services: Monitoring focuses on carbon sequestration, agronomic and water-related aspects, environmental parameters and economic profitability.
The business models will look at direct income streams through the sale of quinoa and carob, as well as value-added processing of quinoa, quinoa flour and carob sugar. Indirect income streams through financing opportunities for agroforestry in Tunisia can be subsidies and public aid from the Ministry of Agriculture and rural development programs, particularly for irrigation, tree planting, and soil protection.International and bilateral programs (FAO, GIZ, PRIMA, European Union) also offer funding for agroecological and sustainable transition projects.Finally, innovative private financing mechanisms are beginning to emerge, including payments for ecosystem services (PES), organic certifications or eco-labels, and crowdfunding cooperatives to promote agroforestry products.
