The two main goals of USDA Food for Progress Tunisia, implemented by Partners of the Americas, are to increase trade between the U.S. and Tunisia and improve agricultural productivity in the oases sector. Tunisia is a key partner for the U.S. and supporting agriculture development efforts in the country are essential to maintaining robust economic and security partnerships. The project seeks to enhance the sustainability of the oases crops in the southern regions of Tunisia by improving water management and building long term economic stability. Tunisia’s oases are a major agriculture production zone and the primary source of income and employment in the country’s southern regions.
The project will catalyze the adoption of sustainable business models that reduce production costs, increase the farmgate price, and utilize economies of scale. In addition, the project will promote crop diversification to improve food security and provide additional revenue streams for producers. USDA Food for Progress Tunisia will operate by employing a cost-effective strategy that leverages innovations, incentives, and Tunisian private sector investments to achieve its objectives.
Through its intervention, USDA Food for Progress Tunisia will improve the U.S.-Tunisia trade enabling environment by tackling food safety and trade facilitation, including the simplification, modernization, and harmonization of processes for the export, import, and transit of agricultural goods.