The approval of the new project “Responsible agribusiness investment for youth employment, food systems transformation, and sustainable development,” marks a transformative step toward addressing Tunisia’s pressing youth unemployment and food security challenges.

Developed by FAO and ILO, this innovative project is designed to create sustainable job opportunities in Tunisia’s agrifood sector by supporting young entrepreneurs. The project proposes to actively foster the creation of responsible agricultural projects, by providing both financial and technical support, and encouraging the generation of at least 1 200 direct and indirect jobs. It also focuses on the inclusion of women, disabled people and the transition of informal workers to the formal economy, contributing to greater social justice and economic resilience.

Through business agri-accelerator hubs that provide incubation services, the project will benefit young agri-entrepreneurs who are at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey. On the one hand, it will support youth that are at the early stage and need support with the creation of their businesses. On the other hand, it will strive at strengthening and scaling up already existing micro, small and medium sized enterprises.

This 36-month project will be financed by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Youth and Employment (MPTF). The MPTF is a joint initiative created by the Tunisian Government and the United Nations in Tunisia in 2023 to support youth in terms of decent job creation and financial autonomy. With a budget of 7 million dollars, this FAO-ILO project is the first to be approved by the MPTF.

A long-standing effort to empower young agri-entrepreneurs

Since 2021, FAO has been supporting a series of projects and activities designed to empower responsible young agri-entrepreneurs in Tunisia. One of the key initiatives has been the establishment of agri-accelerator hubs in the governorates of Béja and Kébili, a joint effort between FAO, the National Institute for Agronomic Research and the Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency. These hubs have supported 58 young agri-entrepreneurs, providing them with the tools and resources they need to develop and scale up their projects.

Another newly approved project “Agri-accelerator hubs 2.0: Boosting young women's and men's responsible investment for food systems transformation in the Governorate of Kébili,” emanates from the success of these previous initiatives that seek to promote sustainable economic and territorial development in Tunisia. This project will stimulate responsible agrifood enterprises led by young women and men, contributing to the transformation of the country's food systems, while promoting inclusive growth and generating employment.

The agricultural sector plays an important role in Tunisia's food security and economic development. It contributes 10 percent of the gross domestic product and 20 percent of jobs. However, the sector is among those hardest affected by the consequences of various health and geopolitical crises, to which we can add the impact of climate change on production. In parallel, Tunisia faces high level of youth unemployment, leading many young people to migrate from rural areas to urban centers or abroad  in search of decent job opportunities. 

In this context, this recently approved project will target vulnerable regions that are widely affected by high unemployment rates, seeking to unlock the potential of underexploited but promising agricultural value chains, while empowering youth to create and sustain their own agribusinesses. The final aim is to stimulate responsible investment projects that generate a triple performance in terms of profits (return for the investor), people (benefit for communities and consumers), and planet, (environmental sustainability).

To achieve its objectives and ensure the project’s long-term sustainability, FAO and ILO will collaborate with diverse local partners, including APIA, INRAT and the Banque Tunisienne de Solidarité. With the approval of this project by the MPTF, FAO and the ILO join efforts to address the priorities of Tunisia's National Development Plan and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.