Tunisia sees opportunity in organic production
Tunisia’s olive oil industry is increasingly turning its focus to the development of organic processes and the marketing of its organic olive oils as a strategy to increase exports.
A government official confirmed a national strategy to promote Tunisia as a producer of organic products to the world.
“What we want to show is that Tunisia is an organic country. This is the model we want to show to the world,” said Samia Maamer, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, on a France 24 news broadcast.
Tunisia already seems to be leading the way when it comes to the export of its organic agricultural products. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Tunisia produces three times more certified organic olive oil than Spain. And Tunisia is the second largest exporter of organic products in Africa.
Ninety-five percent of Tunisia’s olive groves are tended using traditional practices and without the use of any pesticides but many producers following organic practices are not yet certified, most likely because of the costs and effort required.
Read the full article by Isabel Putinja via Olive Oil Times.
[Photo by Citizen59 | Flickr]
