Under the Patronage of H.E the Minister of Agriculture Dr. Abbas Hajj Hassan, and in presence of M. Jean-François Guillaume, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the French embassy, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), the Embassy of France in Lebanon, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized today the Sub-Regional seminar “Unlocking the potential of agroecology in the Middle East and achieving 4 per 1000 objectives” in Al Nasmat Restaurant in Kleiat.

The seminar was attended by experts from the sub-region through virtual conference and in person. The objectives of this seminar are to explore the potential of the agroecology in restoring soil health and fertility and to strengthen the resilience of small-scale producers in the sub-region in a context of climate change. The seminar also illustrated how agroecological approaches can participate in achieving the objectives of the “4 per1000 initiative: soils for climate and food security”.

In his opening speech delivered on the seminar, Dr. Michel Afram, President of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute representing H.E Minister Hajj Hassan said that increasing agricultural production and preserving the environment at the same time is a difficult challenge for everyone, but there are solutions and experiments, some of which are carried out by LARI such as hydroponics for fodder, the use of clean solar energy for electricity in laboratories, IPMs and the use of native herbs and plants to combat diseases and insects.

From his side, M. Jean-François Guillaume, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the French embassy said: “Agroecological transition is an important component of France’s agricultural policy and a part of its climate commitments because agriculture, livestock and forestry offer solutions for the climate.  Aware of the importance of the issues at stake and drawing on the experience acquired, France is ready to share its expertise with Lebanon and the countries of the region”.

 “A transition is needed to have more sustainable food systems: food systems that produce intelligently, with socio-economic benefits and with no environmental consequences. There is an increasing recognition that a regenerative, productive farming sector can provide environmental benefits and services while creating rural employment and sustaining livelihoods “said Etienne Careme, FAO Representative a.i in Lebanon.

The seminar also included discussions around the potential of agroecology to deliver on sustainable agriculture, FAO’s action in supporting sustainable agriculture and agroecology, LARI’s and INRAe work on agroecology, and the presentation of the “4per1000: agricultural soils for agriculture and climate” initiative. It also highlighted agroecology in practice with case studies and testimonies from Lebanon, France, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine.

The seminar will be concluded with a round table discussion bringing together all the speakers on the theme of the transition of production modes and the commitment of farmers, agricultural and agri-food systems towards virtuous practices (farmers, researchers, institutions).

On the occasion of this seminar, the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture and LARI announced that they were joining the 4per1000 Initiative. This international initiative, launched by France during the COP 21 in 2015, consists of federating all voluntary actors from the public and private sectors, and aims at showing that agriculture, and in particular agricultural soils, can play a crucial role for food security and climate change, by increasing carbon sequestration in soils.