Tunisian Parliamentary Committee Examines the Future of the Olive‑Oil Sector
Date: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Venue: Committee on Agriculture, Food Security & Water, and Fisheries
Participants
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chair of the Committee | Hassan Jarboui |
| Vice‑Chair | Khaled Hakim Mabrouki |
| Rapporteur | Sirine Bousandel |
| Committee Members | Omar Ben Omar, Taher Ben Mansour, Hamza Bediafi |
| Assistant Deputy (Communications) | Mokhtar El Aifaoui |
| Other Deputies | Several non‑committee MPs |
Opening Remarks
Chairman Hassan Jarboui opened the session by stressing the importance of dialogue with Tunisian engineering experts. He called for a participatory approach that would produce a strategic, science‑based vision to reform and modernise the olive‑oil value chain. According to him, the hearing is a unique opportunity to mobilise local expertise, boost competitiveness and increase the sector’s added value.
Diagnosis Presented by the Order of Tunisian Engineers
- Economic weight: Olive‑oil is a cornerstone of the national economy, accounting for ≈ 40 % of agricultural exports and providing livelihoods for over 1 million Tunisians.
- Current shortcomings:
- Most production is exported in bulk, depriving Tunisia of profits from packaging and branding.
- Yield per hectare remains low due to limited technical supervision and reliance on traditional farming methods.
- Agricultural engineers represent only ~1 % of the technical staff, a major bottleneck for modernisation.
Strategic Transformation Axes Proposed
| # | Axis | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shift from volume to value‑added economy | Increase the share of bottled olive‑oil, strengthen Tunisian brands, develop premium product lines. |
| 2 | Integrate modern agri‑technologies | Deploy remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and smart water management to raise productivity and mitigate climate‑change impacts. |
| 3 | Embed agricultural engineers across the chain | Ensure engineers are present in large farms, mills, and processing industries, providing continuous technical support. |
Additional Recommendations
- National Skills‑Integration Programme: Offer incentives and facilitation for young engineers to launch innovative agricultural and industrial projects.
- Diversify beyond oil production: Promote high‑value‑added downstream sectors such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and health‑supplement industries.
- Leverage scientific research: Systematically apply research results to modernise practices—harvesting, pruning, tillage, fertilisation, and phytosanitary treatments.
- Coordinated stakeholder action: Organise a national study day gathering all actors (engineers, farmers, millers, exporters) to define sustainable development strategies.
Conservation of Tunisian Olive Varieties
Deputies praised the rich diversity of local olive cultivars, which adapt well to Tunisia’s varied climates and enable the production of high‑quality oils. They urged protection of these native varieties against incompatible hybrid imports that could threaten local agro‑ecology.
Industrial & Environmental Valorisation
- Local mill manufacturing: Encourage domestic production of olive‑oil mills to reduce reliance on foreign parts and services.
- By‑product utilisation:
- Recover residual oil for eco‑fuel.
- Convert solid waste into organic fertilizers.
- Scientific approach: Invest in research to improve productivity, quality, and disease resistance, fostering trust among producers, processors, and exporters.
Closing Statements from the Order of Engineers
The Order highlighted its national and international research initiatives despite limited resources and administrative constraints. It affirmed that, with a strategic vision combining science, technology, and modern economic governance, the olive‑oil sector can become a major engine of economic growth and regional development in Tunisia. The engineers pledged full collaboration with the legislature to deliver scientific and technical solutions for a sustainable, modernised Tunisian olive‑oil industry.
Keywords: Tunisia, olive oil sector, agricultural engineering, value‑added production, smart agriculture, climate change adaptation, industrialisation, export competitiveness, sustainable development.
