by Sarah Phillips
The Kerkennah Archipelago is a group of small, beautiful, and mostly uninhabited islands located about twenty kilometers from Sfax, Tunisia. Its cultural and biological diversity is threatened by climate change, soil salinization, and non-native olive and grape monocultures.
For examples, winemakers, driven by the preferences of consumers, are increasingly oriented towards non-native grape varieties considered more interesting from a commercial viewpoint. This situation has greatly contributed to the abandonment of local cultivars, some of which have become rare.
Farmers recognize now that having introduced the olive tree into areas once given over to vines by ancestors was a mistake. What’s more, the oil from the encouraged variety is of mediocre quality and doesn’t keep long enough.
Due to the geographical location and growing conditions, the native varieties, such as Asli grapes, possess a better adaptation and acclimatization capacity in the face of global climate change than the current crops being grown. These heirloom Asli grapes are known for their resistance to changing extreme temperatures, such as drought-causing harsh and calcareous soil, and saltwater spray from the surrounding ocean. The revival of Asli grape cultivation has rekindled the inhabitants’ attachment to their traditions and cultural heritage, reflecting their pride in their island identity.
The Slow Food Al Majarra community is committed to preserving the indigenous El Asli grape. “We are empowering local producers, developing agroecology, and creating a sustainable tourism circuit to give a future to a heritage landscape.”
– Mohamed Nejib KACHOURI, the referent of the project Kerkennah, Terre de Saveurs et de Patrimoine Génétique – Préservation des Raisins Autochtones El Asli
Excerpted from Slow Food Blog and News, April 23, 2024
