The project aims to develop a regional circular economy model that connects the hospitality sector with local agriculture, turning hotel organic waste into valuable agricultural resources while strengthening the economic resilience of small-scale farmers.

Tunisia is facing increasing pressure on its agricultural and food systems due to prolonged drought, water scarcity, rising prices of agricultural inputs and animal feed, declining agricultural productivity, and reduced incomes among small-scale farmers. At the same time, hotels generate significant quantities of organic waste every day. On average, one hotel can generate around 450 kg of organic waste per day, representing a largely untapped local resource.

The project addresses this paradox by creating a structured link between these two sectors. Instead of considering hotel organic waste as a disposal problem, the project promotes its safe and sustainable valorization for agricultural purposes, particularly through the production of resources that can contribute to animal feeding and composting.

The initiative works with hotels, farmers, local authorities and other stakeholders to establish a practical circular system. Organic waste generated by participating hotels is collected and valorized through appropriate processes. Depending on its nature and quality, the recovered organic material can be transformed into animal feed resources or compost, providing farmers with locally available alternatives and reducing their dependence on increasingly expensive external inputs.

The project has three main objectives: (1) create a regional synergy between hotels and local agriculture; (2) transform organic hotel waste into useful agricultural resources; and (3) strengthen the economic and environmental resilience of local farmers.

The approach goes beyond waste reduction. It seeks to create economic value from an existing environmental challenge, while supporting local production, reducing farmers' operational costs and encouraging more sustainable agricultural practices.

The initial implementation has already demonstrated promising results. In only three months, 288 tonnes of hotel organic waste were valorized. Participating farmers reported a 40% reduction in animal feeding costs, a 20% increase in milk production, and a 100% reduction in chicken feeding costs under the specific pilot conditions.

These results demonstrate the potential of establishing a stronger hotel–farmer circular economy ecosystem. By keeping resources within the local economy, the project contributes simultaneously to waste reduction, sustainable agriculture, food-system resilience, rural economic empowerment and climate action.

Our vision is simple: what is considered waste by one sector can become a resource, an opportunity and a source of resilience for another.

The overall goal of the project is to establish a sustainable regional circular economy model that connects the hospitality sector with local agriculture, transforming hotel organic waste from an environmental burden into a valuable resource for farmers while contributing to more resilient, sustainable and inclusive local food systems.

The project seeks to address two interconnected challenges. On one side, hotels generate significant quantities of organic waste every day, creating environmental, logistical and economic challenges when this waste is not properly valorized. On the other side, local farmers—particularly small-scale and rural farmers—are increasingly affected by prolonged drought, water scarcity, rising prices of animal feed and agricultural inputs, declining productivity and reduced income. The project aims to create a practical connection between these two realities.

By establishing structured partnerships between hotels and farmers, the project will facilitate the collection, sorting and sustainable valorization of suitable organic waste generated by participating hotels. Through appropriate processes, these resources can be transformed into animal feeding resources and compost, helping farmers reduce their dependence on costly external inputs while improving the efficiency and sustainability of their agricultural activities.

A central goal is therefore to reduce production costs and strengthen the economic resilience of local farmers. By providing access to locally available resources, the project aims to help farmers maintain and improve agricultural production despite increasing economic and climatic pressures. The initiative also seeks to support women and vulnerable rural communities by creating opportunities for participation in emerging circular-economy activities and strengthening their role in sustainable local value chains.

At the environmental level, the project aims to reduce the quantity of organic waste sent to conventional disposal systems, promote resource recovery and encourage more sustainable waste-management practices within the tourism sector. At the same time, the use of compost and locally valorized agricultural resources can contribute to healthier soils, more efficient resource use and improved agricultural sustainability.

The project also aims to demonstrate that tourism and agriculture can become complementary sectors rather than isolated economic activities. Hotels can become active contributors to local agricultural resilience by redirecting part of their organic resources toward productive uses, while farmers can become key partners in a regional circular economy.

The project has demonstrated, through concrete field implementation, that hotel organic waste can be transformed from an environmental burden into an economic and agricultural resource. By creating a direct link between the hospitality sector and local farmers, the initiative has generated measurable environmental, economic and production-related benefits.

Within only three months of implementation, 288 tonnes of organic waste generated by hotels were successfully valorized. This result demonstrates the significant potential of hotel organic waste as a local resource and highlights the opportunity to move from a traditional linear model—where waste is generated, collected and disposed of—towards a circular model where resources remain within the local economy.

One of the most significant outcomes has been the reduction of production costs for participating farmers. Through the valorization of suitable organic resources, farmers achieved a 40% reduction in animal feeding costs. This represents an important economic benefit in a context where the price of animal feed and agricultural inputs continues to place strong pressure on small-scale farmers.

The project also generated positive effects on agricultural productivity. Participating dairy farmers recorded a 20% increase in milk production, showing that the initiative can contribute not only to reducing costs but also to improving the efficiency and productivity of local agricultural activities.

In poultry farming, the results were particularly significant, with a 100% reduction in chicken feeding costs under the pilot conditions. This demonstrates the potential of locally valorized resources to provide farmers with alternatives to conventional and increasingly expensive feeding inputs.

Beyond these quantitative results, the project has created a new form of cooperation between hotels, farmers and local stakeholders. Hotels are increasingly viewed not only as waste generators but also as potential partners in local sustainable development. Farmers, meanwhile, become active participants in a circular economy system that gives a second life to resources that would otherwise be lost.

The project has therefore contributed to several interconnected impacts:

* Environmental impact: reduction and valorization of organic waste generated by hotels.

* Economic impact: reduction of production and animal feeding costs for farmers.

* Agricultural impact: contribution to increased milk production and more affordable agricultural inputs.

* Social impact: strengthening the resilience and economic opportunities of local farming communities.

* Territorial impact: creation of stronger links between the tourism and agricultural sectors.

* Circular economy impact: transformation of waste into productive resources and retention of value within the local economy.