A woman harvests aromatic and medicinal plants in the mountains of Tbainia village near the city of Ain Drahem, in the north west of Tunisia on November 6, 2024. – On a hillside in Tunisia’s northwestern highlands, women scour a sun-battered field for the wild herbs they rely on for their livelihoods, but droughts and rising temperatures are making it ever harder to find the precious plants. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)
Aïn Draham, Tunisia — On a hillside in Tunisia’s northwestern highlands, women scour a sun-scorched field for the wild herbs they rely on for their livelihoods, but droughts and rising temperatures are making it ever harder to find the precious plants.
Yet the harvesters say they have little choice but to struggle on, as there are few opportunities in a country hit hard by unemployment, inflation and high living costs.
AirportWatch.PH spokesperson Ren delos Santos said in a statement, “Instead of delivering on its promise to modernize the airport, the DOTr (Department of Transportation) has implemented what feels like a cash grab.”
Article continues after this advertisement“There is a huge difference between the situation in the past and what we are living now,” said Mabrouka Athimni, who heads a local collective of women herb harvesters named “Al Baraka” (“Blessing”).
FEATURED STORIES BUSINESS Chavit Singson launches own digital bank, eyes 20M users BUSINESS BIZ BUZZ: RE leader BUSINESS Fuel price hike up to P1.45/L greets motorists on Christmas week“We’re earning half, sometimes just a third, of what we used to.”
READ: Tunisians protest as number of stranded in transit to Europe grows
Article continues after this advertisementTunisia produces around 10,000 tonnes of aromatic and medicinal herbs each year, according to official figures.
Article continues after this advertisementRosemary accounts for more than 40 percent of essential oil exports, mainly destined for French and American markets.
Article continues after this advertisementFor the past 20 years, Athimni’s collective has supported numerous families in Tbainia, a village near the city of Ain Draham in a region with much higher poverty rates than the national average.
Women, who make up around 70 percent of the agricultural workforce, are the main breadwinners for their households in Tbainia.
Article continues after this advertisement ‘Yield less’Tunisia is in its sixth year of drought and has seen its water reserves dwindle, as temperatures have soared past 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas during the summer.
The country has 36 dams , mostly in the northwest, but they are currently just 20 percent full — a record low in recent decades.
The Tbainia women said they usually harvested plants like eucalyptus, rosemary and mastic year-round, but shrinking water resources and rare rainfall have siphoned oil output.
“The mountain springs are drying up, and without snow or rain to replenish them, the herbs yield less oil,” said Athimni.
Mongia Soudani, a 58-year-old harvester and mother of three, said her work was her household’s only income. She joined the collective five years ago.
“We used to gather three or four large sacks of herbs per harvest,” she said. “Now, we’re lucky to fill just one.”
Forests in Tunisia cover 1.25 million hectares, about 10 percent of them in the northwestern region.
Wildfires fuelled by drought and rising temperatures have ravaged these woodlands, further diminishing the natural resources that women like Soudani depend on.
In the summer of last year, wildfires destroyed around 1,120 hectares near Tbainia.
“Parts of the mountain were consumed by flames, and other women lost everything,” Soudani recalled.
To adapt to some climate-driven challenges, the women received training from international organisations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to preserve forest resources.
Still, Athimni struggles to secure a viable income.
“I can’t fulfil my clients’ orders anymore because the harvest has been insufficient,” she said.
The collective has lost a number of its customers as a result, she said.
Mabrouka Athimni, who heads a local collective of women herb harvesters named “Al Baraka” (“Blessing”) shows oil extracted from plants in a laboratory in Tbainia village near the city of Ain Drahem, in the north west of Tunisia on November 6, 2024. – On a hillside in Tunisia’s northwestern highlands, women scour a sun-battered field for the wild herbs they rely on for their livelihoods, but droughts and rising temperatures are making it ever harder to find the precious plants. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)
‘No longer sustainable’A recent study by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) highlighted how climate-induced damage to forests had severely impacted local communities.
“Women in particular suffer the consequences as their activities become more difficult and arduous,” the study said.
Tunisia has ratified key international environmental agreements, including the 2015 Paris Climate Accord.
But environmental justice researcher Ines Labiadh, who oversaw the FTDES study, said implementation “remains incomplete”.
In the face of these woes, the Tbainia harvesters, like many women working in the sector, will be forced to seek alternative livelihoods, said Labiadh.
“They have no choice but to diversify their activities,” she said. “Relying solely on natural resources is no longer sustainable.”
Back in the field, Bachra Ben Salah strives to collect whatever herbs she can lay her hands on.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
“There’s nothing we can do but wait for God’s mercyjilibet,” she said.
READ NEXT 12 amazing perks of Christmas for Smart Postpaid subscribers Why million of taxpayers in US will soon receive up to $1,400 ... EDITORS' PICK NBA: Pacers surge in 2nd half to rout Kings for 4th straight win Senior citizen medicine discount won’t need purchase booklet – DOH Musk as US president? Trump says it is ‘not happening’ PH to acquire US Typhon mid-range missile system – AFP Archbishop Palma calls for deeper reflection on the Christmas Belen Fuel price hike up to P1.45/L greets motorists on Christmas week MOST READ Reassignment of Comelec officers under threat up to their discretion BFAR plane tells Chinese Navy: ‘Review your chart!’ Ombudsman suspends 2 Batangas town execs over grave misconduct complaint Chavit Singson launches own digital bank, eyes 20M users Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments
aurora game Makati City exempt
pampawerte House to push for P