The European Union (EU) in Tunisia has just announced the official launch in Nabeul of the first hub of the Program for the Support for Sustainable Development in the Agriculture and Artisanal Fisheries Sector in Tunisia (ADAPT), in order to promote sustainable investment in this sector.
“This hub brings together financial institutions and consultancy firms to support potential investors and promote the ADAPT Invest support fund,” the EU said in a statement released on Thursday.
“This is a pilot experiment to promote sustainable investment in the agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries sectors in Tunisia, which could eventually be replicated in other regions of the country.”
The aim of the hub is to create a support network for project promoters, facilitate access to finance and support services, and promote ecological transition and sustainable practices.
At the meeting, participants signed a membership charter and explored the first key actions to be taken to achieve these objectives.
Funded by the EU with €44.4 million (149.25 million dinars) and signed in 2020, the ADAPT program will run until 2028.
It focuses on private investment as a driver of economic, social and environmental change. In December 2022, following the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, a new contract worth €24.8 million (83.36 million dinars) was signed with the EU to support the grain sector.
The total budget for the program is now 70 million euros (235.312 million dinars).
The program, implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in partnership with the World Food Program (WFP), contributes to Tunisia’s development through an innovative, equitable and environmentally friendly approach that reconciles food security, self-sufficiency and the management of natural resources.
