Tunisian dairy farmers see success with field-school training

The recently concluded initiative “Support for the professionalisation of livestock farmers in the Mahdia dairy basin” benefitted 420 dairy farmers from the central-eastern Mahdia basin.  

The project focused on improving sustainability in the dairy sector with the aim of maintaining and creating jobs and contributing to rural development. 

Participants were a mix of smallholder family farmers, mainly women, who run up to 10 cows as ancillary income; semi-professional and professional farmers, mainly men, who own more than 10 cows for their main income; and specialised farm workers or people looking for employment.
 

In this Q&A, HAFL project lead and Head of International Agriculture Nancy Bourgeois Lüthi shares insights on the venture’s successes, challenges and next steps. Nancy was responsible for training the Tunisian trainers who conducted the farmer field schools. 

What are the most significant achievements of the project?

At the end of a project of this scope and duration, outputs and outcomes can be quantified, but it’s too early to measure long-term impacts. The project team trained more than 400 farmers using the farmer-field-school approach, and many are now applying better practices in areas such as forage production, feeding, milking hygiene, calf raising, and so on. One strong indicator of success is the fact that farmers outside of our project have asked the project partner, Fondation Vitalait, to organise farmer field schools for them, too. This demonstrates that the approach resonates within the sector. 

Given that 60% of small-scale dairy farmers in Mahdia are women, how did the project support them?  

Farmer-field-school groups were usually composed of both men and women, with about 40% of participants being women. However, the fact that the entire project and training team were all women greatly facilitated the relationship with female dairy farmers, especially to reach out to them, including when they were alone at the house or on the farm.
 

The project aimed to improve social, economic and environmental sustainability. Which area showed the most progress, and which remains the most challenging?  

All three dimensions were equally addressed, but immediate impact is most visible in environmental and animal welfare improvements, as it is linked to technical measures (installation of solar panels, infrastructure to improve animal welfare, water-use optimisation schemes, etc.). The social and economic dimensions are multifaceted and depend on other factors, such as input and milk prices, for example, where the project and farmers have little or no influence. 

Can you explain how the field-school approach worked in practice?  

Conducting training by and with farmers in the field or on the farm is rather unconventional in Tunisia. Most trainings usually take place in meeting rooms. A farmer-field-school approach focuses on co-developing knowledge and competencies rather than transferring knowledge. This on-farm approach was, in most cases, greatly appreciated by farmers as they could better relate best practices to their dairy cows, forage plots or stables. 

Have farmers seen tangible improvements in income or productivity? Can you share any success stories? 

There is evidence of increased milk production, among other improvements, thanks to better feeding and animal welfare practices. A thorough economic analysis will be conducted in the coming weeks, and compared with the baseline survey conducted at the start of the project, to measure the economic impact at farm level. We do expect big differences across farms.
 

How did the project help farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change?  

One measure with immediate and tangible impact is the construction of 28 shade structures to protect cattle from direct sunlight, thereby reducing heat stress. Automatic water troughs have been installed on some farms to allow better use of drinking water for the cows. Better forage irrigation systems have been installed and more drought-resistant forage species have been tested.  

One goal was to create jobs for rural youth. Did the project succeed in attracting young people to dairy farming?  

The project involved established dairy farmers, agro-entrepreneurs and dairy workers – some of whom were young. The story of one family that I visited particularly struck me. The head of the family bought dairy cows for his elder son, who is unemployed. This son did not show any interest in dairy farming and the father had to manage the farm himself for a while. However, the youngest son, a teenager, developed a passion for dairy cows. He participated in a farmer field school in his free time and even asked to complete the skills assessments at the end of the course! 

The project involved multiple stakeholders, including Fondation Vitalait and SDC. How did these partnerships contribute to its success?  

This project was based on a private–public partnership, which was a new venture for the two main partners, Fondation Vitalait and SDC in Tunisia. This project emerged from a nine-year relationship between HAFL, the Compagnie Laitière de Mahdia (CLM) and Emmi group (CLM’s main stakeholder). Trust between all parties, including farmers, was key to making this project a success.
 

What were the biggest obstacles faced during the project, and what lessons could be applied to similar initiatives in the future?  

A well-known challenge with the farmer-field-school approach is how to sustain the farmers’ self-reliance, with little or no external funding. We wished we had the opportunity to learn about other farmer field schools with livestock in Tunisia or the region, but this approach is still relatively new here. 

Now that the project has ended, what measures are in place to ensure that its benefits continue? Are there any follow-up plans?  

Fondation Vitalait and HAFL plan to look for additional funding to expand the farmer-field-school approach to new groups. The enthusiasm from farmers shows that hands-on learning truly makes a difference. In the meantime, the team continues to support existing groups and farmers.