FAO in Lebanon

Programmes and projects

Lebanon Country Programming Framework (CPF)

Lebanon Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2016-2019 addresses particularly the priorities identified under the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Strategy 2015-2019 as well as the LCRP/Food Security Strategic Response Plan 2016. The CPF is organized around two major government priority areas: Government priority one "Expand economic and livelihood opportunities benefiting local economies and the most vulnerable communities", and Government Priority two "Improve performance of the agricultural sector contributing to the economic, social, environmental and sustainable rural development". The CPF mainstreamed several cross-cutting issues, namely gender and information and knowledge exchange.

Lebanon Country Programming Framework 2016-2019 focuses on seven areas.

Area 1. Food security and resilience of the agricultural sector

The 2015 Food Security and Livelihoods Assessment revealed that more than 10 percent of the Lebanese households were vulnerable to food insecurity, mostly in the Akkar governorate. FAO will continue to support the GoL targeting vulnerable households heavily affected by the Syria crisis. It will contribute to increasing resilience and improving livelihoods of small-scale industry farming through the support of small poultry and dairy production units.

FAO will seek to improve the nutrition of vulnerable communities through the promotion of garden walls and school gardens. FAO will support targeted interventions for the development of agricultural infrastructure and development of the plain of Akkar. Synergies will be sought with MoSA, the World Food Programme (WFP) and civil society organizations.

In addition, FAO will ensure an increased role for rural women whose contribution in agriculture is still underestimated through a number of gender-focused activities including support of micro-enterprises in dairy products and food processing as well as in non-wood forest products (including production and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants) through women cooperatives.

Area 2. Sanitary, phytosanitary and food safety

The latest developments have considerably increased concerns on levels of food safety/quality and the threat of transboundary animal diseases and plant pests accompanying the uncontrolled movement of commodities into the country. FAO will focus primarily on institution strengthening support.

This entails improving surveillance and management of pests, supporting animal health and animal identification programme, strengthening legal and operational capacities for domestic inspection, and improving import/export inspection and risk-based control systems.

FAO will support MoA to undertake national monitoring programmes for some primary products and their related potential residues and contaminants in order to evaluate the safety level of Lebanese products and to meet export market requirements. FAO will also help assess capacities and needs of MoA laboratories.

Area 3. Food security and nutrition information

In the absence of reliable food security and nutrition information, and in support of policy formulation as well as adequate response planning, FAO will seek to establish a food security information system for the affected rural areas of Lebanon. The initiative would generate on regular basis information updates on the status of food security while supporting the building of the institutional framework that deals with food security governance.

In addition, FAO will continue to support the GoL in strengthening food security coordination activities among all related stakeholders. FAO will also support MoA in the development of the agriculture sector disaster risk strategy including support to community level participatory risk-mapping, development of sector committee contingency planning and establishment of a data management unit.

Area 4. Sustainable agricultural production

Low productivity and profitability still represent major challenges to Lebanese agricultural sector. FAO will provide technical assistance and capacity development to develop sustainable agricultural practices aiming at increasing smallholders and family famers ’ revenues through improving quality of their agricultural products and decreasing costs. These include promotion of good agricultural practices and quality production through improving capacities of small-scale farmers and small agroprocessors on good and safe production and processing techniques.

FAO will promote the adoption of innovative agricultural practices, pest management and best practices for post-harvest handling and management. FAO will seek to strengthen agricultural services delivered to farmers by providing technical assistance in the development of pilot service centres under the Hilly Areas Sustainable Agricultural Development Project (HASAD) in collaboration with GP and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Area 5. Sustainable natural resources management

FAO will address environmental challenges and focus on promoting sustainable management of land, forest and water in response to climate change. FAO will contribute and provide support to the “40 Million Forest-Tree Programme” through a number of integrated actions. It will work for capacity development in MoA to strengthen coordination of the national reforestation efforts and assist in the implementation of a reforestation programme.

FAO will continue to support MoA in enhancing the resilience of stone-pine forests for the production of pine nuts and the provision of environmental services. FAO will promote new mechanisms for forest and landscape restoration and support the creation of a forest seed centre. FAO will scale up its efforts towards improving integrated water management practices and modernizing irrigation infrastructure in collaboration with MoEW and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) operating in the sector. FAO will also develop a water action plan for Lebanon.

Area 6. Data and policy support in agriculture including strengthening of social protection systems

FAO will continue to support in the establishment of an effective agricultural statistics system including the production of gender-disaggregated data. It will assist in the adoption of cost-effective methods of data collection/analysis in support of evidence-based policies based on tools and methodologies developed by the Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics.

FAO will work for capacity development in MoA and other key stakeholders to strengthen agricultural policy and gender mainstreaming, value chain analysis and economic research. It will support national policy dialogue on social protection to agricultural workers and efficient labour markets. It will assist in the assessment of agricultural cooperatives capacities and access to rural and financial services (including mutual funds). FAO will also support actions aiming at improving nutrition policies and statistics.

Area 7. Agricultural value chains development

FAO will promote innovative actions to increase efficiency of crop value chains which remain underdeveloped. Special emphasis will be placed on the development of the seed sector, support of key value chains, and enhancing agricultural marketing through conducting marketing studies and establishing a marketing intelligence system. FAO will also provide assistance to support a development action in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It will continue to assist in the capacity building for food loss reduction.