The global network of farmers markets continues to grow, safeguarding local production
Farmers markets around the world took center stage on Biodiversity Day. On the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated on May 22, the first farmers market in the African capital of Tunis — the Marché de l’Agriculture Tunisien — was inaugurated. This was made possible through the Mediterranean and African Markets Initiative (MAMi – Farmers Markets Project). It is the fourth market opened in less than a year, following those in Alexandria (Egypt), Nairobi, and the most recent one in Lebanon. The project is supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and implemented by CIHEAM Bari, in collaboration with the World Farmers Markets Coalition and Coldiretti’s Fondazione Campagna Amica.
Italy, with its model of small-scale farming, is once again playing a leading role in the Mediterranean and Africa, supporting communities and regions through a tangible path of local and sustainable development, aimed at protecting biodiversity against threats posed by climate change and homogenization.
To celebrate the International Day, a large exhibition was set up featuring products from farmers markets: from goat ghee — a nutrient-rich cooking butter — and carob molasses from Lebanon, to the Kenyan “spider plant,” similar to spinach and rich in nutrients; from Egyptian silymarin, known for its liver-protective properties, to geranium distillate and Djebba figs from Tunisia, and even Italian specialties like white celery beer and hazelnuts from the Cimini mountains.
The inauguration was attended by Samir Abid, Minister of Trade and Export Development; Hamadi Lahbeib, Secretary of State for Water Resources at the Ministry of Agriculture; Alessandro Prunas, Italian Ambassador to Tunisia; Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, President of the Scientific Committee of Fondazione Campagna Amica; Carmelo Troccoli, Director General of the World Farmers Markets Coalition and of Fondazione Campagna Amica; Enrico Azzone, Coordinator of the MAMi – Farmers Markets Project at CIHEAM Bari; and Moez Ben Zaghdene, President of the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Every Saturday, at the headquarters of the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP), Tunisian citizens will be able to buy fresh, local, seasonal food directly from producers, grown through farming practices that respect the land and biodiversity. The market will host about 30 family-run farms, many of them led by women, offering fruits and vegetables, cheese, honey, meat, fish, traditional breads like Mlawi, and artisanal beverages.
This is an important achievement that addresses one of the world’s greatest challenges, also highlighted by the FAO: the loss of biodiversity, with one million species at risk of extinction due to human activity. Promoting local food economies means ensuring food security, protecting natural resources, and strengthening community bonds. The World Farmers Markets Coalition is at the forefront of this mission. This nonprofit organization is one of ten projects selected under the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Food Coalition Program. Founded four years ago on the initiative of Coldiretti and Campagna Amica, with the participation of seven associations from across the continents, it now involves over seventy organizations from 60 countries, 20,000 markets, 200,000 farming families, and over 300 million consumers.
On the occasion of the market’s opening, Italy’s Ambassador to Tunisia, Alessandro Prunas, stated:
“In the spirit of the Mattei Plan, promoting good agricultural practices in Tunisia — including organic farming — is at the heart of Italian Cooperation’s mission, which has a long-standing presence throughout the country. Supporting entrepreneurs and local production is key to ensuring sustainable development that respects natural resources, and for this reason, today’s initiative, funded by a contribution from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to CIHEAM Bari, is of central importance.”
“The opening of the market in Tunis represents a concrete example of cooperation among farmers’ associations, made possible thanks to the synergy between Coldiretti’s Fondazione Campagna Amica and UTAP, the Tunisian farmers’ association,” emphasized Carmelo Troccoli, Director of Fondazione Campagna Amica and the World Farmers Markets Coalition. “This is exactly one of our main goals: to build a global community of farmers who connect directly with consumers, creating local, sustainable, and transparent food systems.”
“This inauguration,” explained the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP), “marks a significant step toward enhancing local agriculture and promoting sustainable food systems. It is a tangible opportunity, especially for women in rural Tunisia, to access markets, add value to their products, and strengthen their role in the agricultural sector.”
“After Egypt, Kenya, and Lebanon,” said Biagio Di Terlizzi, Deputy Director of CIHEAM Bari, “we are now arriving in Tunisia. This is not just an opening ceremony; it is a gesture that puts at the center both the person who produces with passion and the one who consumes with awareness. A farmers market is not just a place of sale: it is a cultural hub, a space of knowledge and of the future. It is here that the short supply chain becomes a real opportunity for human and economic development.”
