Field farmers’ schools to support Lebanese communities affected by the Syrian crisis.

The protracted crisis in Syria is having tremendous repercussions on the livelihoods of Lebanese communities living on the borders. 

To date over 1.3 million people have crossed the borders between Lebanon and Syria, increasing the economic pressure on local vulnerable communities, which rely mostly on agriculture, livestock and poultry for their livelihoods and incomes. 

Reviving and strengthening livestock production in these areas is crucial for the survival of these households and families affected by the crisis.

FAO has assisted nearly 1 500 farmers from crisis-affected communities to start-up small-scale poultry farming. Poultry production is not only become a source of income but also ensures availability of some nutritious food in areas where food production and trade have been significantly disrupted due to the crisis. 

A series of training sessions in the form of field-farmer-schools were held to prepare facilitators  to support small farmers in these Lebanese bordering areas to breed and rear poultry to earn an income. 

The training was carried out within the DFID-funded project "Emergency Vaccination and Targeted Feeding of Livestock Grazing in Areas along the Syria-Lebanon Border" which supports crisis affected communities in Lebanon who depend on livestock and poultry for their livelihoods.