A Participatory Agrobiodiversity Conservation Approach in the Oases: Community Actions for the Promotion of Sustainable Development in Fragile Areas

Abstract

Rural development policies today include significant directions towards ecological transition and sustainability. Biodiversity plays a fundamental role, especially in fragile environments. The North African oases, for example, are socio-ecological structures with delicate balances in terms of natural resources, where the activation of participatory conservation approaches appears today to be very useful, aiming at long-lasting results. This type of approach was applied in the oasis of El Hamma, in Tunisia. The socio-ecological analysis was carried out through semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders of the oasis. The results were used to activate focus groups and to identify, in a participatory way, a conservation strategy for the species and the varieties at risk of erosion or disappearing. From this research, a wide spread of non-traditional date palm and vegetables emerged in a very diverse social context. These products were recognized as highly significant in terms of traditional knowledge by all stakeholders. Therefore, a Maison des semences and a public conservation center for perennial species were created, representing the first step of a participatory conservation model. Seeds of 11 traditional annual species, 10 date palm varieties and, in perspective, many other fruit species and vegetable varieties have been introduced into conservation.

Agrobiodiversity-Oriented Food Systems between Public Policies and Private Action: A Socio-Ecological Model for Sustainable Territorial Development

“…Achieving resilient and sustainable agrobiodiversity-oriented food systems depends on increased levels of social learning and cognition about agrobiodiversity assets, involving both public and private stakeholders, and consequent improved collective action to structure adequate multi-actor governance and hybrid management mechanisms [27,54,55,57,62,64]. These processes can be seen within the frame of a quality valorization virtuous circle of endangered landraces and related traditions, considering the integration of relevant public policies and strategies of private actors [65,66].…”

“…Lastly, horizontal results and further impacts can be reached through the implementation of extended territorial strategies based on the collective valorization (collective action and tools) of landraces and related traditions and of the products (goods and services) derived from them [54]. The scope of these strategies is the increase in social demand for agrobiodiversity in order to favor local genetic resource conservation and sustainable use in farming systems and agri-food chains, and resulting potential contributions to local territorial development.…”

“…The intent of the debate on these topics is to foster interdisciplinary action, research and participatory methodologies towards the development of sustainable and multifunctional agrobiodiversity-based systems [54][55][56]. The debate also aims at favoring the design of new conceptual frameworks in order to characterize and analyze underlying human and natural factors, related interactions and generated outcomes [57].…”

A field survey suggests changes in oasis characteristics in the Kebili region of southern Tunisia

“…Usually, lands in oases are occupied by date palms joined with Mediterranean fruit trees, vegetables and fodder crops for animal husbandry. During more than centuries of cultivation, several cultivars turned autochthone and participated in the enrichment of huge genetic and agronomic heritage that describes this system, distinguished by a single terroir (Peano et al, 2021). These oases are the "traditional" ones and have developed systems for arboriculture, vegetables, forage, diversified and tiered crops, associated with small livestock.…”

“…Alongside all their natural, cultural and heritage richness, Tunisian oases offer natural landscapes forming an ecotourism product of great value (Zmerli and Bennouna, 2015). In many oases and especially the "traditional" ones, there is strong fragmentation of the property explained by the division of lands between brothers after the death of the parent owner and which is usually created difficult social and relational approaches (Peano et al, 2021). Nevertheless, the same authors added that it is very frequent that farmers are owners of many plots (2 or 3) that could not belong to the same GDA.…”