Najoua Bouraoui

Title : Smart agri, transformation of plants into botanical pesticides, experimentation and challenges

Abstract:

The increased use of chemical pesticides is partly responsible for the degradation of ecosystems, it is essential to contribute to the reduction of their use, at least, in bordering protected areas and natural ecosystems of interest. The overall objective of the "Smart Agri" project, led by the APEDDUB Association, is to promote smart agriculture that reduces the use of chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides...) without compromising the profitability and thus farmers' incomes. The aim is to experiment with the biopesticide powers of cultivated and spontaneous plants in an agricultural area par excellence, which is the locality of Ghzeal/Joumine in the governorate of Bizerte, by applying the principles of smart agriculture through field experimentation. It is an agriculture based on the mixing of species on the same cultivation space where attractive plants and other repellents help each other, protect each other against insects and pests. All this without a drop of pesticide or chemical treatment of any kind.
Results: No signs of weakness related to a lack of any organic element and the harvested fruit is healthy, on good quality and has reached maturity without any particular problems.
The association intends to scale up this experiment among a few small farmers in the Joumine watershed in order to protect the biodiversity of the ICHKEUL reserve downstream.

Biography:

Dr Najoua Bouraoui is an ophthalmologist from Tunisia and Chief of department of ophthalmology in the hospital of Bizerte. She is currently the President of the Association for the Protection of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Bizerte (APEDDUB). Dr. Najoua is the Chair of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance’s Continental Executive Board and a representative of APEDDUB at ECOSOC UN. She is the National Coordinator of the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED) and the national Focal Point of the Global Network of CSOs for Disaster Reduction (GNDR). She is also very passionate about children’s rights and is a member of the Tunisian Association for the Rights of the Child, Bizerte Section (ATUDE of Bizerte). Dr Najoua is a member of steering committee of the Bizerte Lake depollution project and a member of the Tunisian climate change Adaptation Forum.