Tunis, Tunisia

City overview

Tunis, the capital and largest city of Tunisia, is home to an estimated 2.7 million inhabitants and guides much of the policies and direction across the rest of Tunisia. Located on the northern African coast between the western and eastern basins of the Mediterranean Sea. Situated at the end of the shallow Lake of Tunis, it extends to its port, Ḥalq al-Wādī. Agriculture is important to the economy, with olives and cereals as primary crops, and diverse manufacturing sectors including textiles, clothing, and chemicals. Tourism also plays a significant role, supported by landmarks like the ancient mosques and the historical Festival of Carthage. Key infrastructure features include Tunis-Carthage International Airport and Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport, which enhance regional and global connectivity.

Tunis's food systems challenges

Over the past decade, Tunis has faced significant food system challenges due to the 2011 revolution, recurring climate changes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russo-Ukrainian war. These crises have undermined food security and exposed the vulnerabilities of the city’s supply networks, particularly its dependency on the importation of basic food products due to the disruptions in the global supply chain. While Tunis is characterized by its relatively higher quality of life compared to other cities in the country, a significant portion of the population remains vulnerable, with an unemployment rate of 18.5 percent and a poverty rate of 5.3 percent. This economic disparity results in inequalities in food access. Additionally, climate change poses continuous threats to agricultural productivity, which complicates the efforts to ensure stable food availability. The lack of effective support for small-scale farmers and reliance on informal food channels further weaken the food system’s resilience, increasing the risk of food insecurity, particularly for the economically vulnerable populations.

Worsening the situation, the local government has limited decision-making power as the food system is primarily controlled at the national level. As a result, it lacks mechanisms for planning, monitoring, or anticipating shocks to its food system. Instead, its role is confined to peripheral responsibilities such as maintaining green spaces, waste collection, and overseeing health and hygiene, leaving it with little visibility over all the players involved in the food system. This lack of oversight can hinder the city’s ability to respond effectively to food security challenges and coordinate with various stakeholders to build a more resilient and sustainable food system.

Tunis’s food systems commitments and targets

In 2019, the Mayor of Tunis signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. Following this, with technical and financial support from the FAO, the municipality released a draft food strategy in 2021. Centered on citizen rights, efficiency, participation, and accountability, the strategy proposed the creation of a dedicated food security unit within the municipality, along with a core team of key stakeholders working to enhance Tunis’ food system, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the National Institute of Consumption (INC), the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INNTA), and several NGOs.

Tunis’ food systems priorities include the promotion of urban and peri-urban agriculture, aiming to enhance food production within the city and surrounding areas. The city is also focused on the fight against food waste. In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization, a joint initiative by the municipalities of Tunis and La Goulette, INC, and the INNTA developed the ‘Reduction of food waste in urban areas for more sustainable urban food systems’ project. The project has completed a comprehensive inventory of food waste sources in households and municipal markets. It aims to establish a multi-stakeholder governance and strategic plan to combat food loss and waste, involving key ministries, public and private institutions, research institutions, and civil society.

Tunis has made notable progress in addressing malnutrition and childhood stunting. Improvements in local determinants of malnutrition, such as increased literacy among mothers and a decline in high-parity childbirth, have contributed to a decrease in stunting rates. Additionally, there has been a reduction in the consumption of diets low in animal protein and variety over recent decades.

City led/ supported projects/ initiatives

Citations

El Ati, J. (2024, May 31). State of City Food System Report: Tunis. AfriFOODlinks project, Cape Town, South Africa. https://afrifoodlinks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/State-of-City-Food-Systems-Report_Tunis.pdf 

Bouallegui, F. & Khaldi, R. (2024). The Tunis food system in the face of crises: fragility or resilience? FAO; CIRAD. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/6a4304aa-0372-48c3-9bf6-df848d24fe57/content

FAO. (2023, May 9). Municipalities of Tunis and La Goulette supported by FAO to reduce food loss and waste. FAO. https://www.fao.org/urban-food-agenda/news-events/news-detail/en/c/1638991/

Tunis (n.d.). AfriFOODlinks. https://afrifoodlinks.org/city/tunis/

Mukhtar, A. (2024, October 30). Strengthening urban-rural food systems through local production and food waste reduction. FAO.  https://www.fao.org/neareast/news/blog/blog-details/plant-pests-and-diseases/2024/10/31/strengthening-urban-rural-food-systems-through-local-production-and-food-waste-reduction/en

RUAF. (2025, March 3). Food systems governance must be a priority for African cities. RUAF. https://ruaf.org/2025/03/03/food-systems-governance-must-be-a-priority-for-african-cities/#:~:text=In%202019%2C%20the%20Mayor%20of,political%20system%2C’%20said%20Mornagui.

World Bank Brief. (2024, April 26). Enhancing the Social Protection System to Better Serve Vulnerable Populations. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/teri/brief/enhancing-the-social-protection-system-to-better-serve-vulnerable-populations

*Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union.