Tunisian oases are facing many structural problems that may be the cause of their degradation and disappearance. Among these problems, we can mention the continuous increase in production costs, the fragmentation of cultivated land with an average of less than 0.5 hectare per farmer, and the over-exploitation of natural resources. In addition, small farmers have very poor financial resources. Consequences include the deterioration of the living conditions of local farmers, the decrease of their income and land degradation leading to a deterioration of the social, economic and environmental conditions of the oasis. Moreover, the lack of alternative employment and stable income from other activities condemns small farms and their oases to poverty and food insecurity.

The farmers of the oasis of Jemna in south Kebili, are grouped in a mutual company "SOCIÉTÉ MUTUELLE DES SERVICES AGRICOLES: SMSA El Barka" with 219 members. The grouping has facilitated access to training and creates a social link valuing the exchange of farming practices. SMSA has provided training to its members in order to help them build production capacities. Trainings touch different sectors such as goat and sheep breeding (production techniques, nutrition, diseases and precautions to be taken...), the development of market gardening and fruit trees, the phytosanitary problems of date palm, or even the oasis fertilization. The French Development Agency (AFD “Agence française de développement”) and the Agriculture Ministry contribute to creating the geographical indication of Nefzaoua dates and promoting the recognition of the quality of dates produced.The project "Actions-Indications Géographiques (PA-IG) Dattes de Nefzaoua” implemented by the General Directorate of Agricultural Production (DGPA) of the Ministry of Agriculture with funding from the French Development Agency (AFD), has supported farmers' organizations on the techniques of sorting, collecting, and selling dates as well as on the promotion of geographical indication products on the national and international market.

In 2013, the number of members of SMASA reached 334 people, including 9 women, and the capital acquired was 94,000 dinars. In terms of economic gain, the SMSA has allowed the acquisition of quality equipment at low cost and therefore lower costs in the production activity. Legal status of collective organization offers an additional legitimacy to express its needs to the public authorities and thus greater weight and impact on the decisions made. SMSAs have many objectives, including: providing the inputs and services needed to carry out agricultural and fishing activities, guiding and coaching their members to increase productivity and profitability of their farms and improve product quality, and marketing agricultural products including harvesting, storage, packaging, processing, transportation and export. Several agricultural service activities have been developed by SMSA (agricultural work, sale of fertilizers and pesticides, sale and rental of agricultural equipment). In order to ensure an additional financial gain for farmers and shareholders, SMSA has also developed its commercial activities. In particular, this makes it possible to offer equipment at lower prices to SMSA beneficiaries. Finally, these activities contribute to the operating costs of the SMSA.

The main objective of this project is to secure the production and sale of dates through a mutual agricultural services company composed by a group of small farmers. For the success of this project, 4 steps must be followed: build a group of farmers, define good governance for the group, ensure the distribution of sales revenue and developing new businesses. Governance must be able to lead the farmer group and be responsible and fair. Each farmer collects his/her dates and stores them in a room rented by the SMSA. Thereafter, the intermediaries come to recover the products. The SMSA guarantees the price to the member farmers by buying back their dates at the market price and then ensures the sale at a higher price. This gain can be used for the costs related to the SMSA operation and for farmers according to the quantity of dates. Finally, SMSA has been able to develop several activities of agricultural services and commercial activities, which ensure considerable financial gains that contribute to the operating costs of SMSA.