Farm business schools empower farmers in rural Lebanon

08/10/2024

Farming in Lebanon is becoming increasingly difficult due to various crises in the region and Lebanon’s farmers are under mounting pressure to keep agricultural production economically viable. To help farmers and support the rural economy, a curriculum-based extension approach termed the Farm Business School (FBS) has been implemented. This aims to equip farmers with the necessary skills to manage their farm operations more efficiently, respond better to market demands and enhance profitability. 

Developed by FAO, implemented by trained facilitators from the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, and funded by the European Union, the FBS approach represents a journey of learning and growth for Lebanese farmers towards improved farm management and viability. 

FBS programme implementation 

The FBS activities in Lebanon are a component of a larger project, Enhancing resilient livelihoods and food security of host communities and Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon through the promotion of sustainable agricultural development, which is funded by the European Union and implemented jointly by FAO, WFP and IFAD through the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture. This larger project responds to the deterioration of rural livelihoods and food security in both Jordan and Lebanon resulting from the crisis in Syria. It tackles the negative impact of the crisis on Lebanese and Jordanian communities through support to the agriculture sector – improving agricultural productivity and farmer income, in addition to creating job opportunities for both host communities and displaced Syrians. The project promotes social protection mechanisms that benefit the host farming communities and the displaced population. 

The FBS approach was initially introduced in Lebanon in 2019 and has expanded considerably up to 2024 to include 26 schools and 25 facilitators, 32 percent of whom are women. As a result of FBS activities, using newly developed skills, many of Lebanon’s small-scale famers have been able to reduce expenses and increase income. In addition, an increased sense of pride has become evident among FBS graduates. 

Points of view 

Khodor Hamieh, an enthusiastic farmer from Taraya in the Bekaa, expressed his appreciation for the programme, by saying that "We greatly benefit from the schools. I now understand all the management steps from planning to execution and implementation. We have gained valuable information on improved agricultural techniques. It is as if we were blindfolded before, but now we can see the optimal approach to farming." 

Mayssa Dib, an FBS facilitator from Abdeh, in northern Lebanon, explained that farmers were unused to keeping records and calculating profits prior to engaging with the FBS programme. This was confirmed by Hassan Kechfe, a farmer from northern Lebanon, who explained that “We used to manage our farms traditionally. Now we keep detailed records of all our farming activities, which allows us to anticipate our profit at the end of the harvesting season.” 

Before FBS training, Vera Nasr, a farmer from Batroun, was planning to rent a shop in which to sell her produce. “After the training, and following a cost-benefit analysis, I decided that using my vegetable farm as my point of sale would be more cost-efficient and allow me to keep my vegetables fresh," she said with confidence. 

A facilitator from the Ministry of Agriculture explained that “The FBS programme is a pioneering experience in Lebanon and the wider region. Each FBS session represents a lesson in empowerment as knowledge becomes the farmers’ greatest tool.” 

“We were trained to offer the most useful guidance to farmers on how to run farms as businesses and make farming enterprises more profitable. We are emphasizing to farmers that we are here to help in this regard," he added. 

A brighter future 

Although farming in Lebanon is difficult, through expanded implementation of the FBS programme, it is hoped that some of the obstacles faced by the country’s farmers can be removed, that farmers can become empowered to make informed decisions and that agriculture can provide improved livelihoods and income.