During the 2011 uprisings against Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the residents of Jemna, a town of some 8,000 inhabitants in deprived rural southern Tunisia, took control of a date oasis of approximately 11,000 date trees — following a 69-day sit-in. The land had been exploited by private companies associated with the former dictator’s family. This “popular nationalization” and conversion into a cooperative venture led to a fourfold increase in date production and revitalized the date-based agro-food business, creating new jobs, from 22 workers in 2011 to 133 in 2016.
Before Jemna's land reclamation, investors reaped an estimated 1 million Tunisian Dinars (DT) in 2002 ($300,000), while the state earned a modest 16,000 DT ($4,800). By 2016, the entire profit was channeled to the Association for the Protection of Jemna's Oases (APJO), an estimated 1.5 million DT ($450,000). Keeping with the principles of solidarity economy, the Jemna association invested its profits in community development and infrastructure, building classrooms, improving healthcare, and boosting the market for dates. There were similar popular nationalizations across the country, each achieving varying degrees of success.
This interest translated into advocacy efforts led by grassroots organizations, including influential labor union Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail (UGTT). By 2020, the post-revolution government proposed policies aimed at supporting similar initiatives.
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