Jbal Lahmer Community Garden (Tunis)

In a dense, low-income district of Tunis, residents have reclaimed neglected land as a communal garden, gaining fresh vegetables, income and a step toward food sovereignty. It is watched as a new model of resident-led agroecology in North African cities.

In Jbal Lahmer ('Red Mountain'), one of Tunis's most densely populated neighbourhoods, neglected urban space is being transformed into a productive garden. About 30 residents—mostly unemployed people and women—run the garden, receiving technical training in agroecology with support from the National Gene Bank.

Implemented by the Tunisian NGO OSAE and coordinated by Hivos as part of AfriFOODlinks, an EU-funded program linking African and European urban food systems. Harvests feed participating households and bring financial benefits through sales, in a non-profit venture oriented toward food sovereignty.

Provides fresh food, income and skills training to unemployed residents and women in a neighbourhood where opportunities are scarce, while improving the local environment and strengthening community ties. Its first harvest in early 2025 made it a concrete example for reforming Tunis's urban food system.

This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.

• OfficialTunis' new community garden is planting seeds of change for residents (Hivos) ↗hivos.org