Focus                  
Putting MAPs
on the Map
Mohamed Neffati, Azaiez Ouled Belgacem and Mohamed El Mourid
Tunisia may be a small country, but in terms of biodiversity, it’s massive. The ecological mosaic includes sub-humid forests, dry rangelands, deserts, oases, and Jessours (series of small dams for rainwater management on valley slopes). This provides environmental niches for over 2150 plant species, including over 300 HMAP species (herbal, medicinal and aromatic plants) that grow in the wild, and are used by indigenous communities for food and medicine. HMAPs have enormous commercial value as well, providing essential oils, spices and condiments, and drug ingredients. Unfortunately, this market is not being tapped effectively.

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are good for health, and good for business. Partnerships in Tunisia are unlocking this potential.
Tunisia’s Matmata mountains: local plant diversity holds the key to profitable, sustainable resource use.  

HMAPs are an important income source for many rural households, and HMAP products (mainly essential oils) account for 5% of the country’s agricultural exports – nearly 45 million TND in 2003. But they could contribute far more.

Northern Tunisia has 800,000 hectares of forest, of which nearly 80% is rosemary and myrtle. In the south, 4.7 million hectares of rangelands contain a variety of HMAPs. But in the absence of a concerted national effort to develop the industry, these resources are over-exploited in some areas, and untapped in most of the country.

Total commercial plantations occupy barely 1000 ha – consumption and trade relies almost entirely on collections from the wild. Annual HMAP production is about 8000 tons, of which about one-fourth is exported, mainly to Europe.

Tunisia has a number of advantages in HMAP production – low production costs, favorable climatic conditions, large areas of wild HMAPs, proximity to European markets. But exports are declining, even while international demand increases. This decline is due to several factors. Land degradation and pressure from expanding livestock populations have reduced HMAP populations and the productivity of the most important species – at least 26 species are now endangered. Only a few of 300-plus species are used. Research investment, skilled labor, processing facilities, are all limited.

Field experiment on Thymus capitatus at IRA Medenine Station at Gordhab-Tataouine.
The HMAP project in Tunisia
In 2002, Tunisia’s Institut des Régions Arides (IRA), ICARDA, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a 3-year project to develop the country’s HMAP sector. The project aimed to promote conservation, cultivation and propagation, and to help protect HMAP-rich habitats.

Genetic resources can be conserved in-situ (protecting the species by protecting the habitat) or ex-situ (off-site, in genebanks). This project does both. Habitat conservation allows threatened HMAP populations to recover. In parallel, local communities establish their own plantations, which they manage and harvest regularly without damaging wild populations. Essentially, the project provides communities the incentives and support they need to manage these resources sustainably.

This approach is straightforward in principle. But given the poor development of the industry in Tunisia, considerable groundwork had to be done before the actual conservation work could begin. This article describes some of this groundwork, to illustrate the complex route from potential to profits.

Which species?
Formal research on HMAPs in Tunisia is limited. Even estimates of species numbers vary widely – for example, different surveys report anywhere from 40 to 200 aromatic/medicinal species. Surveys and discussions with Tunisian experts helped identify target species and habitats. The first phase of the project focused on southern Tunisia, and four species with ecological, economic as well as social/cultural value:
•
 Allium roseum (rosy garlic). High economic value, threatened with extinction. The bulbs contain sulfur compounds (which give them their onion flavor), believed to reduce blood cholesterol levels.
•
 Artemisia herba-alba (white wormwood). Good source of essential oils. Widely used in folk medicine to treat diabetes.
•
 Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary). Fragrant herb widely used in Mediterranean and West Asian cuisine; also in cosmetics, disinfectants and shampoos.
•
 Capparis spinosa (caper). Widely used as a condiment in Mediterranean and West Asian cuisine. Often traded as immature flower buds which have been pickled in vinegar or preserved in salt.


Allium: the genus includes onions, garlic, leek and other bulbs. 		    

Artemisia herba-alba: a popular folk remedy for diabetes.

Sharing information
Information on these species, specifically pertaining to Tunisian conditions, was lacking or scattered in different sources. Now, thanks to the project, information on key HMAP species is conveniently available in various forms:
•
 Technical brochures summarizing information on biology, distribution, ecological requirements, multiplication, propagation and husbandry methods, uses, and conservation tools
•
 A national database on indigenous HMAPs, covering several species and hundreds of accessions
•
 A literature database, with over 200 entries, ranging from research papers, theses and technical reports to magazine articles and brochures
•
 A GIS database for project target areas, containing information on climate, soil, vegetation, HMAP status and trade, and infrastructure.

MAPping the mountains
A survey of rural communities in the Matmata Mountains (the project target zone) provided useful insights into the collection and use of HMAPs. Information was collected through questionnaires administered to a representative sample of household heads involved or interested in HMAPs.
•
 Nearly two-thirds of households supplement their income with off-farm activities. This includes collection and sale of HMAPs, which constitute an important source of income for some families.
•
 Annual sales per household range from 30 kg to 4500 kg (average 750 kg/year per household).
•
 Most HMAPs are collected for household use; 25% of households sell the plants when opportunities are available. Households are keen to expand sales, but markets are limited.
•
 72 species are collected and used, but only four are traded: Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus capitatus, and less frequently, Juniperis phoenicea and Artemisia herba-alba.
•
 Market prices and quantities sold vary considerably depending on species, season, climatic conditions during the growing season, and quality of the product.
•
 The market chain is relatively small, with limited numbers of producers, traders and local consumers.
•
 The main problems, as reported by the households, are drought, inadequate harvesting methods, overgrazing and over-collection.

A private field of Verbena officinalis in the Gafsa region, south-west Tunisia.
Building partnerships
A national network of collaborators has been created, with over 100 partners – research institutes, extension agencies, NGOs, universities, HMAP processors and exporters, pharmacists and other health professionals.

Two international conferences, held in 2004 and 2006, attracted over 450 participants from nine countries: Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and USA. These meetings helped establish a mechanism for cooperation between countries in the Mediterranean. A formal regional network has been proposed, which will aim to promote further collaboration on HMAP research and promotion, help each country develop a national strategy, and harmonize trade regulations across the region in order to create a larger market.

HMAP markets
A series of studies helped understand the HMAP sector at various levels – local, national and regional. A community survey in the project target area (see box) provided information on size of the market, its importance to the local economy, and the problems faced by HMAP producers. At the national level the study examined broader economic aspects such as contribution of different HMAP subsectors, trade data, market chains, and the level of stakeholder participation.

Seedlings of Rosemarinus officinalis at the IRA nursery in Medenine.
The future for HMAPs
Water is scarce in Tunisia. HMAPs are adapted to dry conditions, consume less water than most crops, and offer considerably higher returns. If the industry is effectively developed, it could substantially improve the livelihoods of a large number of rural poor.

The prospects are good. Government agencies are fully involved in the project; the IRA has established a 4-hectare plot at its Gordhab-Tataouine location, to be used for demonstration/education purposes. There is considerable interest from the media, and several TV and radio programs have highlighted the project’s efforts.

Equally important, the project has demonstrated how relatively small international investments can help national research centers leverage their skills and resources. Project funding has enabled two key partners – IRA and the Ministry of Environment – to significantly expand their HMAP activities. IRA does conduct research on germplasm and ex-situ conservation, but its budget is limited. It has now expanded its work to include sustainable use of medicinal plants, chemical characterization, value addition, and in-situ conservation in a community setting. Similarly, the Ministry of Environment has moved beyond simply managing nature reserves and protected areas, to launch baseline surveys, market assessments and socioeconomic studies to better understand the opportunities (and challenges) of HMAP development.
  ___________________________________________
Mohamed Neffati (Neffati.Mohamed@ira.rnrt.tn) is Head of the Range Ecology Laboratory; and Azaiez Ouled Belgacem is Senior Researcher (GIS Specialist) at Institut des Régions Arides, Tunisia. Mohamed El Mourid is Coordinator of ICARDA's North Africa Regional Program, based in Tunis, Tunisia.
   
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