The “Tunisian Baguette Revolt,” is beautifully reported by Tunisia-based journalist Layli Foroudi (@laylimay) about the 2011 Tunisia political protests and how baguettes were employed as a symbol of resistance. Layli interviewed several key individuals connected to the movement about their firsthand experiences, and why baguettes have become so critically important as a form of the uprising in Tunisia.  Hear a clip of ‘The Tunisian Baguette Revolt” with Layli and researcher Max Ajl. 

In this episode of Dispatch, Stephen chats with:

• Layli Foroudi a Tunisia-based journalist who interviewed locals affected by the uprising 

How did the Tunisian Baguette Revolt begin?

• Layli Foroudi explains the beginning of the revolt that started in December 2010 as a revolt against injustice and marginalization. A young man was humiliated by the police force trying to confiscate his fruit.  His death sparks uprisings and protests. Became a national revolt for freedom and ending martial struggles. This ended the Presidency of  Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.

How did Baguette become a symbol?

• Bread means to live and eat. It symbolizes material well-being which was a demand of the revolution. Therefore, bringing a baguette to a street meant that you were demanding a better quality of life and living in dignity. 

• The baguette is a widely consumed type of bread in Tunisia. The history of how this loaf became a staple in Tunisian cuisine. 

• During the revolt one of the main slogan: Work, Freedom, and National Dignity  or Bread, Freedom, National Dignity 

What is Khobza (Big Baguette)? 

• Layli chats with Ahmed Ben Masoud about his memories of buying bread. The big baguette, Khobza, weighs 350 grams before being baked and the regular baguette weighs 250 grams. It is composed of white soft wheat that is imported and sold to bakers. The government subsidized the sale of bread.  Customers pay around $0.09 cents for Khobza and $0.07 for a Baguette.

• This type of bread is sold fresh each morning should be eaten immediately. Due to the low water content, if it is not eaten immediately when it is hot, it becomes dry and hard and is thrown away.

What is the difference between Tabouna and Khobza?

• Layli chats with a home bread maker named Helema who explains the difference between Tabouna and Khobza. Tabouna can be reheated; therefore, people save this bread for later consumption. 

• Furthermore, to differentiate it from the Khobza, Tabouna is made with oil and semolina flour and is the preferred bread as it is tastier, is filling, and keeps for more than one day. 

The history of the baguette and wheat dichotomy?

• Layli chats with Max Ajl, author of A People's Green New Deal, about the wheat dichotomy.  On a global basis, soft white wheat is produced and consumed more. Soft white wheat is a cheap source of empty calories compared to hard wheat.

• The baguette form was inherited from the French who colonized Tunisian from 1881-1956. The French also started cultivating soft wheat and when they arrived they forced farmers to switch from growing hard wheat to soft. 

• By 1940 Tunisian was a major importer of soft wheat. In addition, with people moving to the city, their consumption and eating practices changed. Workers did not have time for longer meals and needed fast, cheap meals in order to get back to work. 

• In school, the baguette was provided to students during lunch.

The United States Involvement in Wheat Production

• The U.S. Government Humanartian Aid policy called Food for Peace (PL480) was a way to have food as a weapon in order to control the development of governments and market economies.

The Beginning of the Protest 

• During the 1980s the government was seeking a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF loan was conditional on government spending cuts, removal of exchange controls, elimination of protective tariffs, and devaluation of the currency.

• The president at the time, Habib Bourguiba, declared a state of emergency and the riots were put down by force. Due to that, over 100 rioters died and many were sentenced to prison time.

10 Years Later 

• Stephen and Layli discuss the impacts of the war between Ukraine and Russia on the Tunisian economy as Tunisia is unable to buy wheat from Ukraine.