#WorldFoodDay 2021 is celebrated a second time during the COVID-19 pandemic, whose repercussions disrupted agri-food systems and triggered an unprecedented global economic recession resulting in a dramatic loss of livelihoods and incomes and increased food insecurity and inequality.

World Food Day 2021 raises awareness of the need for supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. It calls for action across sectors to ensure that our agri-food systems deliver enough affordable, nutritious and safe food for all.

World Food Day is celebrated on 16 October every year to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).  On this occasion, FAO Representation in Lebanon prepared a TV spot to highlight its work in Lebanon.

Link to the movie

Lebanon and FAO, 44 years of partnership

Over the past 44 years, FAO’s assistance to Lebanon has focused on the promotion of sustainable development of the agriculture sector, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant ministries. Since the start of the Syria crisis, FAO has been supporting the coordination and planning mechanism for humanitarian and stabilization assistance to Lebanon.

FAO’s support focuses on agricultural and rural development, resilience and sustainable natural resource management. Activities include support to agricultural production systems in order to overcome production and marketing constraints, boosting investment in agriculture, assisting small-scale family farmers in their efforts to enhance productivity, reduce production costs, increase quality, overcome post-harvest barriers, and improve food safety.

Strengthening the capacities of the agricultural cooperatives, in particular women cooperatives, and producers’ associations is another key area of our work.

FAO also supports the application of climate-smart agricultural technologies, including efficient irrigation techniques and good agricultural practices; enhancing the capacity of regional water establishments to better plan and manage water resources for irrigation; and supporting sustainable forest management and long-term reforestation efforts, particularly the Government’s “40 Million Trees Program’’. FAO is also supporting small fishermen to enhance the sustainability of their practices and to support their livelihoods.

FAO’s ongoing support to Lebanon

Lebanese farmers, particularly small holders, are being severely impacted by the ongoing financial and economic crisis. FAO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and other partners, is actively responding to support small farmers during the crisis. More than 30,000 small farmers are benefitting from the distribution of vouchers to allow them to purchase their essential inputs to be able to sustain their production and livelihoods. FAO is also expanding its program to provide matching grants to allow small farmers throughout Lebanon to invest in on-farm infrastructure.  Additional support is being provided to more than 250 women agri-food cooperatives and associations through intensive training and the provision of grants to allow them to invest to expand their activities.  FAO is actively working with its funding partners to try to scale-up these programs as well as to launch new activities to provide as much support to vulnerable farmers and rural communities during these exceptionally difficult times.