Linking farmers' perceptions and management decision toward sustainable agroecological transition: evidence from rural Tunisia.

Global food systems face sustainability challenges like undernourishment, inequity, resource degradation, and pollution. Food production and consumption drive environmental change with greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and land-system shifts. The climate change crisis has intensified concerns about the ecological impact of these systems. Sustainable food networks, such as community-supported agriculture, are promoting sustainable production and consumption through short supply chains. International bodies like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) are also spearheading initiatives for more equitable and sustainable food systems. In Tunisia, where dryland areas predominate, the ongoing implementation of the Agroecology Initiative provides the context for this study, which explores the drivers and barriers of agroecological transformation in this challenging environment. The research focuses on stakeholder engagement, with a gender perspective to explore farmer perceptions. The study, conducted in the northwest of Tunisia in 2022-2023, involved focus groups, workshops, surveys, and questionnaires with various stakeholders. Findings highlight farmer organizations' potential in promoting sustainable farming, with clear goals, diversified systems, and collaborations. However, challenges such as input scarcity, water shortage, low income, and marketing must be addressed. Results also indicate that over 90% of farmers who received assistance with agroecological practices reported a change in their ideas and practices. Fifty seven percent of the workshops participants identified the olive oil value chain as having the greatest potential for agroecological transformation, but it faces constraints such as climate, lack of policy incentives, training, funding, and difficulty in adopting technical innovations. Women's inclusion in agriculture, environmental, social, and economic challenges were also highlighted. Despite these obstacles, key drivers for agroecological transition were identified. These include the compatibility of many agroecological practices with existing farmer capabilities, their cultural and economic benefits, and the positive outcomes for environmental sustainability and health. The study advocates for a socio-technical systems analysis to address the root causes hindering Tunisia's agroecological transformation. A participatory approach is crucial to understanding priorities and developing a sustainable and resilient food system. Furthermore, the research underscores the importance of considering diverse farmer perspectives and tailoring strategies to support this critical transition effectively.

Prediction of intensive care unit mortality: Interest of serum lactates.

INTRODUCTION: Many prognostic indices have been developed to assess clinical status and predict the probability of death in the intensive care unit (ICU) but none have perfect sensitivity or specificity. AIM: To evaluate the prognostic value of admission lactate in patients admitted to ICU. METHODS: A cohort, observational, prospective study was carried out in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Mongi Slim Hospital, la Marsa, over 12 months period. Arterial blood lactate (ABL) was measured in ICU admission (H0), then 6 hours (H6), 12 hours (H12), 24 hours (H24) and 48hours (H48) after admission. Prognostic scores were calculated 24 hours after the admission. We also recorded biological data, hemodynamic parameters, and the evolution during the stay in intensive care. Primary endpoint was ICU mortality. RESULTS: We included 135 patients. The average age was 47.22 ± 16.88 years with a sex-ratio of 1.75. ICU mortality was 48%. The mean ABL at admission was 3.05 ± 2.63 mmol/l, higher in the dead group with a statistically significant difference. Prognostic value of lactate at admission was less powerful than severity indices in this study but remains excellent with an AUC >0, 7 defining « cut-off ¼ values with a good sensitivity and specificity. In multivariate analysis, initial lactate > 2 mmol/l was found to be an independent predictive factor of ICU mortality with an Odd Ratio [IC 95%] =1.16 [1.07 - 3.6]; p=0.04. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring lactatemia in ICU could allow better identification of patients at high risk of death and the reassessment of therapeutic efficacy.

Estimation of the economic loss due to irrigation water use inefficiency in Tunisia.

The main objective of this study is to estimate the total economic loss due to inefficient use of irrigation water in Tunisia. Several approaches have been used for this purpose. The optimal level of water application for different crops is calculated using the actual crop evapotranspiration which is based on FAO-56 method. The residual imputation and yield comparison methods have been used to estimate the economic value of irrigation water for different irrigated crops in different bioclimatic areas. For the empirical analysis, primary data were obtained from a series of surveys that covered 78% of the total irrigated areas and were collected within the framework of the "Virtual Water and Food Security in Tunisia project" (2013-2015). Secondary data about land distribution of crops in Tunisia were taken from the Ministry of Agriculture (2016). Around 724 farms were randomly sampled considering their bioclimatic area, farm type, and production system. The survey included the main 20 crops produced in Tunisia. Results show that most of farmers are either under or over utilizing irrigation water. The value of total direct economic losses, at the country level, of both types of water inefficiencies, was estimated to around 470 million Tunisian Dinars. Therefore, an improvement of water use efficiency at field level through dissemination of information/knowledge on irrigation scheduling and crop water requirements by extension services to farmers is needed to reduce this huge economic loss, reach higher sustainability in water use and improve food security.