What happens when a small rural women’s association from Tunisia steps into the heart of Italy’s olive oil cooperatives? It’s more than a field visit; it’s an inspiring experiment in North–South collaboration, where theory meets practice to bridge the gap and exchange best practices.
In a world where agricultural risks threaten livelihoods every day, PARM decided to flip the script: instead of another indoor debate, it organized a hands-on exchange between two realities: Kasserine’s organic pioneers and Italy’s historic cooperatives. The goal? To learn, adapt, and build resilience through shared experience.
From 6 to 7 November 2025, three representatives of the Association for Rural Women Development (ADFR) of Kasserine, a splendid city located in west-central Tunisia, travelled to Italy at PARM’s invitation, following their own proposal, to visit two Italian cooperatives active in the olive oil sector. ADFR, a certified organic association, is part of PARM’s Institutionalisation (INST) project, which aims to mainstream agricultural risk management into educational curricula and private sector practices. A self-funded representative from UNIDO Tunisia also joined the delegation.
On 6 November, the ADFR delegation visited Co.Br.Ag.Or (Cooperativa Braccianti Agricoli Organizzati), a historic cooperative founded in 1977 and certified organic by Italy’s Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification (ICEA). The visiting team explored Co.Br.Ag.Or’s organic olive plantations, learning about its agroecological practices, marketing strategies, and inclusive governance model. They engaged in rich discussions on similarities and differences in tools (such as oil mills) and processes (like irrigation systems), fostering a dynamic exchange between Tunisian and Italian cooperatives. “The field visit was very formative”, said Béchir Omri, President of ADFR. From its inception, Co.Br.Ag.Or has prioritized environmentally sustainable farming, earning ICEA organic certification.
On 7 November, the visit continued at Agricoltura Nuova, another cooperative founded in 1977, whose mission is to create employment opportunities in agriculture and protect a large area of high environmental value from urban development. Participants learned about goat rearing and the processing and local marketing of goat milk, an excellent example of agricultural risk management in practice. The integration of livestock production with agricultural crops such as fruits and vegetables sparked insightful discussions on organic and integrated quality farming practices, one of the integrated risk management tools identified by PARM through its risk assessment study in Tunisia. “We would welcome a mainstreaming of PARM’s institutionalization project across other Tunisian women-led organizations”, added Béchir Omri.
Empowering women producers and cooperatives for resilient agriculture
PARM’s INST project, implemented by ADFR in Tunisia, focuses on developing tailored training materials for organic processing, innovative tools for estimating carbon footprints, and guidelines for good organic practices. So far, ADFR has developed two modules aimed at women producers and cooperatives, informed by local experts; and organized six highly technical capacity development workshops in Kasserine. The governorate of Kasserine also collaborates with the Italian region of Tuscany to support social and solidarity economy organizations, a tool to manage agri-risks also mentioned in the project designed by PARM (ARDII-TOUNES: Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Agriculture for Investment in Tunisia) upon request and in close collaboration with the MARAHP of Tunisia. This could represent an entry point for further collaboration between Tunisia and Italy thanks to PARM’s intermediation and technical assistance.
