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00:00 "Looking to crops from the past to secure the food of the future.
00:05 That is the goal of Tunisian farmer Hassan Chetoui, who has been experimenting with old
00:09 wheat varieties in a bid to adapt to climate change-induced droughts.
00:14 He hopes that by using ancestral seeds, he will be able to harvest crops all year round.
00:19 "These are the original seeds, called zinouba, from soft wheats, suitable for foods.
00:26 Generally they are drought resistant and adaptable to different seasons."
00:30 Chetoui's farm is located in the Bourj Al Amri area of northern Tunisia, a region that
00:35 was once known as a breadbasket for ancient Mediterranean civilisations such as Rome and
00:40 Carthage.
00:41 However, today, Tunisia is a net wheat importer, after years of drought scorching most of North
00:47 Africa left national reservoirs empty and fields dried up.
00:51 Chetoui hopes that by avoiding reliance on a single summer harvest, he may be able to
00:55 produce at least some wheat even in the bad years and avoid depending on foreign hybrid
01:00 seeds.
01:01 "Sterile and hybrid seeds are incompatible with the Tunisian environment, climate, global
01:08 warming and drought.
01:10 However, these original seeds have endured and, under all circumstances, can provide
01:16 the lion's share of production."
01:19 Agricultural experts in Tunisia are sceptical that old wheat varieties will succeed in protecting
01:24 farmers from the impact of climate change and point out that modern wheats produce far
01:29 higher yields.
01:30 However, they also say that older varieties may work better in certain areas or under
01:36 specific conditions and that Chetoui's experiments are worth undertaking.