La biodiversité alimentaire : sa mesure, ses conditions d’accès et le rôle des politiques : cas de la Tunisie

This thesis studies biodiversity in its food dimension. First, the understanding of "food biodiversity" and its different components was necessary. It is indeed confirmed that biodiversity can be a solution to fight hidden hunger. Do we have the instruments to measure it in terms of supply and demand? How to integrate it into the management of public policies? What actions should be implemented to conserve food biodiversity and put it at the service of food security in Tunisia? A case study was carried out in Tunisia in the governorate of Sidi Bouzid. Surveys and tools have been developed to identify all the data needed to study food biodiversity at each level of the food chain A specific analysis of the role of wild edible products was conducted. Widely known and used, wild plants are still undervalued. A generic methodology for studying the nutritional utility of available food biodiversity has been proposed with an application to markets (specific richness index, adapted Shannon and Piélou indexes). The nutritional utility of available biodiversity varies from a nutrient to another. A second part was devoted to the study of public policies. A selection of strategic options that can be levers to biodiversity has been made by experts. The Multicriteria Mapping (MCM) method was used with stakeholders for the study of option s performance and to rank them in order to make action s proposal. As far as policies are concerned, nutrition education has been regarded as the most effective action followed by the conservation and protection of the sea and its biodiversity, and finally, agricultural policy options for indigenous plants. The link between biodiversity and nutrition and the role of wild species was not clear for participants. Conservation and enhancement of biodiversity should be oriented to address the lack of three nutrients, calcium and vitamins A and B12. However awareness and accountability of the various stakeholders is essential especially in a difficult socio-economic context of post-revolution as in Tunisia.