Creating a business model for Farmers’ Organizations in Tunisia: Lessons learned to strengthen and support their activities

Gharbi, Ines; Aribi, Fatma; Selmi, Salah; Abdelmalek, Eya; Dhehibi, Boubaker; Rouissi, Faouzia

doi:https://doi.org/10.30682/nm2504d

Creating a business model for Farmers’ Organizations in Tunisia: Lessons learned to strengthen and support their activities

Views

0% 0

Downloads

0 0%

Open access

View/Open

Date

2025-10-02

Date Issued

2025-10-02

Contributes to SDGs

SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure

SDG 11 - Sustainable cities and communities

SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production

ISI Journal

Impact factor: 1.4 (Year: 2025)

Authors

Citation

Ines Gharbi, Fatma Aribi, Salah Selmi, Eya Abdelmalek, Boubaker Dhehibi, Faouzia Rouissi. (2/10/2025). Creating a business model for Farmers’ Organizations in Tunisia: Lessons learned to strengthen and support their activities. New Medit, 4, pp. 59-73.

Abstract

Farmers’ organizations have become a central element in agricultural policies and have established themselves as key partners in development programs in developing countries. This study aims to create a business model for Melyane Mutual Agricultural Services Company (SMSA) in northeastern Tunisia. This business model will define, on the one hand, the necessary resources (financial, technical, human) to realize its future projects and demonstrate their viability, and, on the other hand, the strategies to overcome existing constraints while leveraging local resources and creating sustainable activities. Semi-structured interviews and detailed surveys were thus conducted with the SMSA board of directors and its mem¬bers. The business model, developed and validated by SMSA members, provides a clear strategy for income-generating activities to be implemented and investments to be made in the short and medium term. The development of SMSAs should therefore be integrated into a territorial development approach that focuses on enhancing local resources, with members leveraging their artisanal skills. Furthermore, considering the challenges SMSAs face in terms of effective management and visibility, their activities should be reinforced with a mechanism for technical assistance and support.