The carob tree making its comeback in Tunisia
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00:00 "In Binzert, these farmers have their own way of trying to fight the drought that has
00:05 plagued this northern region.
00:07 For example, Siwara Naifer took a course in permaculture."
00:10 "After cleaning around our carob plants, we pulled mulch.
00:16 The straw helps stop the evaporation of water, and so a maximum amount of water remains for
00:21 the plant."
00:22 "The carob tree is hardy, easy to grow, and uses little water."
00:30 "Like any tree, it needs water for its first two years of growth, and then afterwards.
00:37 It's very self-sufficient, it's strong, it resists drought."
00:40 "The Les Amis de la Carob Association want to help optimize farming practices.
00:45 They support and supply carob seeds to professionals like Maha.
00:49 Some have found the crop to be surprisingly lucrative."
00:53 "Before, where there was a lot of rain, people planted popular trees that grew quickly.
01:00 There was no demand for organic.
01:03 But now, things have totally changed.
01:05 Carobs are now in demand as sugar substitutes."
01:08 "It's not only a sugar substitute.
01:14 In 2019, Maha opened a workshop in the city of Jendouba to process carob seeds."
01:19 "The first separation doesn't give us 100% grains like our clients want.
01:25 That's why we do manual separation like Mrs. Wassila is doing now."
01:29 "Maha and her employees then crush, roast and grind the carob to make different products
01:36 for the local and international market — powder, syrup, molasses and even flour."
01:41 "The carob has lots of benefits.
01:45 It's rich in fiber, micronutrients and protein.
01:50 And here the waste which isn't for human consumption, we use for animal feed."
01:54 "There's also big demand for carob gum from the cosmetic sector, a promising indicator
02:04 of the growth potential of carob seed derivatives on the international market."