Klay, a US citizen who started a business making sugar from dates, standing in front of stocks of dates to be dried in his factory. Photos: Fethi Belaid/AFP
A remote oasis in Tunisia's desert was exhausted by decades of wasteful water use for agriculture – but now pioneers around an eco-lodge are reviving the spot with innovative projects.
They hope their back-to-basics approach can keep alive the ancient Saharan caravan stop and its traditions as a sustainable alternative to the region's high-irrigation date plantations.
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Klay, a US citizen who started a business making sugar from dates, standing in front of stocks of dates to be dried in his factory. Photos: Fethi Belaid/AFP
Chef Ameur preparing a traditional couscous at Dar Hi hotel in the remote Nefta oasis, a seven-hour drive from the coastal Tunisian capital Tunis.
A view of the Nefta oasis, which lies in southwestern Tunisia. The remote oasis in Tunisia's desert was exhausted by decades of wasteful water use for agriculture, but now pioneers around an eco-lodge are reviving the spot with innovative projects.
Chef Ameur preparing a salad from vegetables grown in their premises at Dar Hi hotel in the remote Nefta oasis.
An employee grinding dates at Dateible, a company founded by Klay that sells "date sugar" produced from organic-certified desert fruits.
A Tunisian craftswoman weaving a carpet from old clothes' fabric in the Nefta oasis.
Employees cultivating Dar Hi hotel's vegetable garden amidst palm trees in the Nefta oasis.
French businessmen El Ouarghi (right) and Philippe Chapelet at the Nefta oasis.
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