Lebanese President discusses with FAO official the importance of leveraging technology in the agricultural sector
Lebanese President discusses with an FAO official ways to develop the agricultural sector and support food security
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Beirut, Oct 1 (KUNA) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held talks today, Thursday, with Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to discuss ways to develop the agricultural sector and support food security through the use of technology and innovation and by encouraging investment.
The Lebanese presidency said in a statement that the meeting took place during President Aoun’s reception of a delegation from FAO, led by Bechdol, in the presence of Lebanese Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani. The discussion covered ways to boost productivity, improve resource-use efficiency and product quality, support Lebanese farmers and products in accessing markets, and create new investment opportunities in the sector.
Aoun stressed the need to give special priority to affected areas, particularly southern Lebanon, and to support farmers whose lands were damaged or who were unable to access them to harvest their crops. He pointed to the environmental and agricultural damage caused by Israeli occupation attacks, including the use of phosphorus and its impact on soil and agricultural production.
The meeting also addressed ways to secure additional resources to support the sector and to benefit from available programs and financing in cooperation with the World Bank and other international partners, as well as climate finance opportunities, particularly through the Green Climate Fund, to help Lebanon confront the impacts of climate change and environmental damage and enhance the resilience of the agricultural sector.
President Aoun emphasized the importance of shifting from needs assessment to preparing practical, financeable, and implementable projects that contribute to protecting farmers, developing the agricultural sector, and strengthening its role in food security and economic growth in Lebanon.
For her part, Bechdol reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to continuing support for Lebanon and working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, outlining the programs and projects the organization is implementing to support the agricultural sector and farmers and to enhance food security. She also presented projects related to irrigation, water management, agricultural inputs, and contributions to mine clearance and the removal of war remnants from agricultural lands, enabling farmers to safely return to their lands and resume agricultural activities, as well as emergency response programs.
For his part, the Lebanese Minister of Agriculture presented the National Agriculture Strategy and the vision for developing the sector over the next ten years, along with ongoing work to prepare an agricultural investment strategy aimed at transforming sector needs into financeable and investable projects and enhancing the ability of Lebanese products to access markets.
The meeting discussed the damage inflicted on the agricultural sector as a result of the war, which affected approximately 22.5 percent of Lebanon’s agricultural land, as well as the results of damage and loss assessments and surveys conducted in cooperation with the National Council for Scientific Research. The participants also discussed emergency response programs, support for affected farmers, and securing the necessary resources to help them restore their activities and production. (End) A.Y.B./M.N.F.
