Sixty women from the Béja and Jendouba regions in north-western Tunisia are set to receive training in hydroponic agriculture and cooperative entrepreneurship through SHE-GROWS, a new three-year project funded by the Erasmus+ programme. The initiative, which brings together six partners from four countries, will officially begin at a kickoff meeting in Tunis from 10 to 12 February 2026.
The project addresses a pressing challenge. In rural north-western Tunisia, traditional farming is increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change: prolonged droughts, soil degradation and declining crop yields. The hardest hit are often the most vulnerable communities—particularly women, who face limited access to vocational training and skilled employment opportunities in these areas.
Hydroponic agriculture—a soil-free cultivation method using nutrient solutions rather than earth—offers a viable alternative. The technique can reduce water consumption by up to 90 per cent compared with conventional farming, enables year-round production regardless of soil conditions, and delivers higher yields in smaller spaces. In the project’s target regions, such skills could open new employment pathways and strengthen economic resilience.
Yet SHE-GROWS goes beyond technical training. The programme also includes modules on sustainable entrepreneurship and cooperative management, designed to help participants establish agricultural cooperatives that can access local markets. It is an integrated approach that combines agricultural innovation, skills development, and social inclusion.
The project consortium draws on complementary expertise from Spain, Italy, Czechia and Tunisia. Leading the initiative is EFA El Soto, a Spanish federation of agricultural schools bringing specialist expertise in hydroponic cultivation. It is joined by Italy’s OpenCom, responsible for quality management and dissemination activities, and the Czech agricultural school Libverda, with extensive experience in Erasmus+ projects focused on environmental education and rural entrepreneurship.
Three strategic partners operate on the ground in Tunisia: Elemtiez, a vocational training institute that will host the training programmes; Grow It Yourself (GIY), specialists in hydroponic technologies; and UTAP, the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries, which will host the kick-off meeting at its Tunis headquarters and ensure links with local farming communities.
The project aligns with European priorities on the green transition, inclusion and skills development, and contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: no poverty (SDG 1), zero hunger (SDG 2), gender equality (SDG 5), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), climate action (SDG 13), life on land (SDG 15) and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).
For project updates: www.shegrowsproject.eu
SHE-GROWS – Sustainable Hydroponic Education for Growing Rural Opportunities is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building project in the field of Vocational Education and Training (VET), co-funded by the European Union.