Abstract
In Tunisia, the rise of new social demands with regard to regional and local development, particularly in the central and southern areas of Tunisia, has highlighted the conflicting and political dimensions of development strategies. In the oases of southern Tunisia, in particular, changing market conditions and growing competition for land and water, especially between old oases and new productive irrigated areas and between agricultural investors and small farmers, contribute to politicising the issue of access to resources and territorial development. In this context of a changing economic and political environment, we observe a variety of development dynamics in the oasis areas, which results in major transformations in the socio-spatial logics and functioning of these agricultural territories. Based on the field surveys with local actors and farmers in the oases of Tozeur and Gabès, this paper explores the links between new forms of valorising oasis territorial resources and political motivations behind rising demands for social and territorial justice, and the ways in which these dynamics contribute to opening up a new space for public debate about local development models. We formulate the hypothesis that changing management practices of oasis resources in a context of political and eco-environmental crisis, under the pressure of social mobilisation, contributes to new ways of integrating oasis territories into globalisation processes. These are expressed in contradictory and conflicting dynamics. On the one hand, there is a process of de-territorialisation, linked to the development of agribusiness, export-oriented intensive farming and mass tourism and, on the other hand, a process of re-territorialisation resulting from innovative practices, based on a heritage valuation of oasis resources, which contribute to rehabilitating diversified family farming systems.
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Notes
- 1.
GIAHS project, www.fao.org/giahs/
- 2.
Between 1976 and 1979, irrigated areas in Tozeur grew from 4660 to 7900 ha, a 69% increase (Oasis Report 1999; Ministry of Agriculture).
- 3.
Strategic report of GIZ and Ministry of Environment, April 2012, “Tunisian oases, a need for protection against degradations and climate change impacts”.
- 4.
UNESCO Clubs are an associative movement that supports UNESCO ideals. They also help to spread these in various fields, and carry out activities strongly linked to the principles of the Organisation: “Contributing to peace and security by promoting, through education, science and culture, the collaboration between nations in order to further universal respect for justice, law, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, as the Charter of the United Nations recognises to all the peoples” (Constitutive Act, Charter of UNESCO).
- 5.
ASOC: Association de Sauvegarde de l’Oasis de Chenini Gabès (Association for the Safeguard of the Gabès Chenini Oasis).
- 6.
RADDO: Réseau des Association de Développement Durable dans les Oasis.
- 7.
ISPO: Initiatives de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Oasien.
- 8.
- 9.
As an example, we could mention the “winou el petrol?” (Where is the oil?) movement. For more information, see: http://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2015/05/27/winou-el-petrole-tunisie_n_7449592.html.
- 10.
STEG: Société Tunisienne de l’Électricité et du Gaz.
- 11.
CRDA: Commissariat Régional de Développement Agricole.
- 12.
Field surveys at the animal production service at the CRDA, 2013.
- 13.
2011 surveys.
- 14.
According to GDA statistics (2013 surveys).
- 15.
Association de Sauvegarde de la Medina de Tozeur (ASMT), Club UNESCO of Tozeur, Post-revolution: Association de Sauvegarde de l’oasis de Tozeur (ASOT) created in 2011, Association des Amis du Palmier de Tozeur created in 2011; Association de Sauvegarde de l’Oasis de Chenini (ASOC) created in 1992, Post-revolution: Association Formes et Couleurs Oasiennes (AFCO) created in 2011, Gabès Action created in 2011, SOS Gabès Environnement created in 2011.
- 16.
In 2014, 107 plots and 52 ha of the oasis of Chenini in Gabès were approved for organic farming by a convention with ASOC. Furthermore, in 2013, 178 farmers were given free fruit trees by the association to promote biodiversity in the market gardens.
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Carpentier, I., Gana, A. (2017). Changing Agricultural Practices in the Oases of Southern Tunisia: Conflict and Competition for Resources in a Post-revolutionary and Globalisation Context. In: Lavie, E., Marshall, A. (eds) Oases and Globalization. Springer Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50749-1_9
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