Innovative supply systems for quality school catering and resilient local agriculture in Tunisia

 

School feeding programs are an essential component of Tunisia’s education system. The effectiveness of these programs is often hampered by operational, financial, organizational and legislative challenges. The Tunisian government has introduced several policies to encourage the use of local produce in school meals. However, the implementation of these policies lacks coordination between different levels of government and local stakeholders. Existing policies often fail to effectively integrate the needs of local farmers and schools, limiting the potential impact of these initiatives.

This project aims to promote healthier, more sustainable school food, strengthen the resilience of local farming communities and improve their incomes by designing, piloting and scaling innovative, viable supply systems. Thirty public elementary schools located in urban and rural areas in three governorates will be targeted. Agricultural areas, supply chains and food flows around each school will be identified and mapped. Healthy, balanced school menus based on local, economically competitive produce will be designed. Innovative and economically viable supply mechanisms between local farming communities and school meals will be identified and piloted on a national scale.

This project is part of a cohort of projects that aim to catalyze the adoption and scaling of regenerative, equitable and inclusive practices in school meal supply systems in Africa, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the agroecological transition of local and national food systems.