That is despite the higher price of organic products in a middle-income country where many people's wallets have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and years of economic crisis. In 2001, just 16,000 hectares were dedicated to organic farming -- a figure that has multiplied 20-fold over two decades. The number of producers and venders has grown at a similar pace to some 8,000, said Samia Maamer, in charge of organic products at the agriculture ministry. Despite its small size, Tunisia ranks 30th in the world and first in Africa in terms of area certified for organic farming. And due to the coronavirus pandemic, people began increasingly looking for organic products "because... they don't contain (artificial) chemicals", she added.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 07, 2021 03:16 UTC