Conservation Agriculture in Tunisia Sarra Baccouri

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Conservation Agriculture in Tunisia Sarra
Baccouri

• Conservation Agriculture Carbon Offset
  Consultation
• Indiana on Oct. 28-30, 2008

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Content

• Tunisian agriculture
• Limits
• Solutions done on the past
• The introduction of the Conservation Agriculture
  (CA)
• Encouraging results
• Limits to develop the CA
• APAD

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Tunisia
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Tunisian agriculture

• 1 500 000 ha / cereals
• 360 000 ha rainful area
• Average area / farmer 30ha
• Average yield (wheat) 1500 kg/ha
• The agriculture is based on cereals and extensive
  sheep farming (Pasture from May to october)

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Problems and limits
Runoff High cost of production Limited yield
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Soil erosionWater losses
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Sediment transport
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As an alternative Bench terraces
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Problems
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No-tillage

• Diversified crop rotations
• Minimum soil disturbance
• Permanent soil cover

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The history of the introduction of direct seeding
in Tunisia

• 1970-80 scientific trying (Tye machines)
• 1999 credits / AFD
• 2001 FFEM (5years)
• 2007 FFEM (5years)

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Encouraging results

• Reduced soil erosion
• Improved soil fertility
• Improved water infiltration
• Reduced air pollution
• Fuel savings
• Time savings

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No-till in Tunisia
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Limits to develop the CA in Tunisia

• Price of the machine

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Limits to develop the CA in Tunisia

• Unreasonable pasture

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Association Pour lAgriculture Durable (APAD)

• Founded on December 2006
• Group of farmers who are interested by
  conservation agriculture and environmental
  problems

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Aims

• Reduce productions costs
• Reduce soil erosion
• Improve the agronomic potential of soils
• Increase the carbon sequestration
• Participate to fight against climate change

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Aims

• Farmers hope benefit from carbon
  sequestration in the near future and get paid out
  of carbon funds

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Others goals

• To share their experience
• To help each other
• To resolve their common problem together
• Improve their knowledge

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Firsts steps done by APAD

• National seminary to start the PADAC (Bizerte,
  Tunisia, 16-17 May 2007)
• SIAMAP (Tunis, October 2007)
• GREEN IFRIQUYA (November 2007)
• Experts Group Meeting Sustainable development
  in North Africa experiences and lessons (Tunis,
  Tunisia, 18-21 November 2007)

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Firsts steps done by APAD

• International solidarity on climate change
  strategies for africain and the mediterranean
  regions (Tunis, 18-20 November 2007)

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• Recent trends in Conservation Agriculture under
  Mediterranean conditions (Zaragoza, Spain, 31
  March April 2008)

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• Festival of no-tillage (France, 09/27/2008)
• INNOVAGRI (France, September 2008)
• October 2008
• - SIAT
• - National day to inform farmers about no-tillage
  (Bousalem, Tunisia, 10/15/2008)

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• Thank you