Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, and FAO Representative in Lebanon, Nora Ourabah Haddad, signed a project agreement today funded by the Government of Canada (CAD$20 million).

The project aims at increasing the adoption of gender-responsive, nutrition-sensitive good and climate smart agricultural practices, and improving the performance of fruits and vegetables value chains as well as the enabling environment in which value chain actors operate.

It also aims at increasing resilience to climate and economic shocks of fruits and vegetables value-chains for an enhanced food and nutrition security in Lebanon.

Small-scale fruits and vegetables farmers – women in particular – and their organizations will be supported to increase their technical and organizational skills to participate more effectively in selected value chains and increase their income. 

Input producers, processors, and traders are also supported to develop their business strategies and activities to adopt innovative and modern technologies at the production/marketing and processing levels, to become more competitive, inclusive, sustainable and responsive to farmers’ needs. Farmers, their associations, and cooperatives will be empowered to coordinate their strategies and activities thus making safer, healthier and more affordable food available. This will contribute to increasing resilience of food systems.

This project allows to foster the strategic partnership between the Government of Canada, the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, and the Food and Agriculture Organization to support the sustainability of the agricultural sector in Lebanon.