The Sidi Bou Zitoun Association was founded in 2012 by Hayet Taboui together with other women from the Jendouba region, one of the most marginalized areas of Tunisia, to protect the El-Fedja National Park, with its centuries-old olive and oak trees, to enhance the natural heritage of this mountainous and forested area in the northwest of the country, and to preserve the traditions of the families living in the area.

The association envisions new ways of practicing agriculture, including agroecology, the creation of a community garden, the cultivation of medicinal plants, and the recovery of local crop varieties. These practices help preserve the region’s biodiversity and increase the resilience of the park’s forests to climate change.

Local seeds are reproduced in the community garden to safeguard biodiversity and the resilience of the agricultural system, ensuring healthy food for the community and income for families living in the park. The proposed model represents an alternative development approach for the environment and workers’ rights, as the protection of local seeds becomes a source of employment for the communities in the area. Preserving biodiversity is seen as key to maintaining a resilient agricultural system that guarantees healthy food for the community and income for the families living in the park. More than 150 local residents, especially women and young people, have been involved in this project, which allows them not only to earn a living by marketing local products, but also to protect the environment in which they live.