OVERVIEW

Climate change, the degradation of natural resources, the erosion of biodiversity and local knowledge, as well as socio-economic developments are increasingly affecting sustainable agricultural development in arid environments. These challenges are not limited to Tunisia and are concerned many countries in the South especially in North Africa, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia.

According to the Islamic Development Bank, nearly 60% of the land in the countries within its scope is classified as semi-arid, arid, or Saharan. In these regions, agriculture still contributes 25 to 35% of GDP and employs more than 40% of the workforce, even though productivity remains severely limited by water scarcity, soil degradation, and the impacts of climate change. More than 2 billion people living in these territories depend directly on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods, with high exposure to food and nutrition insecurity.

In Tunisia, as in many African and Asian countries, these pressures lead each year to a progressive degradation of agricultural land, an increase in unemployment, an increase in migratory flows, and a decrease in food security. The arid and Saharan zones of southern Tunisia illustrate this reality well: oases have always been major centers of agricultural production and trade. Thanks to their three-tiered structure, they create a unique microclimate, promote cultivated biodiversity, protect endangered species, and generate cultivars perfectly adapted to local conditions. The date palm remains the pillar of this agro-ecosystem, guaranteeing productivity, preserving biodiversity, providing economic stability and combating desertification.

Outside of the oases, agriculture in the steppe areas is essentially based on integrated pastoral systems, with a historical role for sheep and goat farming, supplemented by irrigated cereals, fodder and market gardening crops. However, the sustainability of these practices is increasingly threatened by chronic water shortages, salinization of aquifers and irrigated areas, as well as the emergence of invasive diseases and pests.

At the regional level, these issues are common to all drylands in the South, making a collective approach and South-South cooperation essential. In this context organizations such as FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), IOFS (Islamic Organization for Food Security) and ICBA (International Center of Biosaline Agriculture) play a major role in promoting the coordination of food security policies, establishing gene banks and enhancing cultivated biodiversity. Similarly, specialized structures such as SAFGARD (Sustainable Agriculture for Food, Genetic Resources and Drylands) and ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) actively contribute to research, the management of genetic resources and the development of agricultural models adapted to arid environments. Drawing on its local, national and international partnerships, and building on the success of the eight previous editions of the International Meeting on drylands farming and Oasis Cropping, the Drylands and Oasis cropping Laboratory of the Institute of Arid Regions in Medenine is pleased to invite you to the International Seminar “Resource Management and Technological Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture in Arid and Saharan Zones (GRInTA-Sud 2026)”.

GRINTA SUD 2026, the 9th International Seminar on Dryland Farming and Oasis Crops, is organized by the Drylands and Oasis Cropping Laboratory and is held in conjunction with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Arid Regions Institute (IRA), Tunisia. The event will take place in Djerba, Medenine, Tunisia, from March 26 to 28, 2026, and will bring together decision-makers, researchers, development specialists, farmer organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international institutions. Its goal is to generate concrete proposals, reinforce South-South cooperation and enhance sustainable development in arid and Saharan regions through the sensible and innovative use of natural resources.