Ministry of Agriculture and FAO Celebrate World Food Day in Chouf

The Ministry of Agriculture, in cooperation with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization "FAO" and the World Food Programme, organized a celebration for World Food Day 2026 at "Beit Al-Dayaa" in the town of Becherrane in Chouf, sponsored by and attended by Minister of Agriculture Dr. Nizar Hani, under the slogan "Innovation Today… Food Tomorrow," with the participation of representatives from diplomatic bodies, official institutions, international organizations, municipalities, unions, agricultural cooperatives, along with farmers, producers, and partners in rural development.

The occasion combined agricultural innovation with local food heritage, opening a space for exchanging experiences and strengthening partnerships supporting production and livelihoods, focusing on employing knowledge and modern technologies to improve farmers' income, protect natural resources, and expand job opportunities for women and youth.

The opening included speeches by the Mayor of Becherrane, Walid Khattar, Director General of Agriculture Engineer Louis Lahoud, Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme in Lebanon Alison Oman-Lawi, Representative of the "FAO" in Lebanon Veronica Cuatrola, and the patron of the event, Minister Hani, in addition to a special video presentation about World Food Day.

Khattar

Khattar began the meeting with a welcome speech, expressing the town's pride in hosting the occasion, considering that holding it at "Beit Al-Dayaa" confirms the role of Lebanese villages in protecting agricultural and food heritage and embracing initiatives that open horizons for local development.

He stressed the importance of cooperation between municipalities, the Ministry of Agriculture, international organizations, and academic institutions to support farmers and producers, develop small projects and cooperatives, especially initiatives led by women and youth.

He indicated that linking agricultural production with Mouna (preserved foods) and rural tourism provides opportunities to improve income and revitalize the local economy, confirming the municipality's readiness to keep pace with efforts that enhance Becherrane's presence as a destination for production, heritage, and nature.

Lahoud

For his part, Lahoud congratulated the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization "FAO" on the 81st anniversary of its founding in 1945, recalling the historical relationship connecting it to Lebanon, one of its founding members, and the signing of the agreement establishing its office in Beirut in 1977. He also noted Lebanon's contribution to the organization's journey, particularly through the Lebanese Edward Souma serving as its Director-General between 1976 and 1993.

Lahoud stressed the importance of translating the World Food Day slogan into practices and services benefiting farmers, by enhancing agricultural extension, developing skills, improving production quality and safety, and expanding marketing opportunities.

He clarified that the value of innovation is manifested in its ability to help producers reduce costs, rationalize the use of water and agricultural inputs, limit losses, and enhance their competitiveness.

He confirmed the importance of documenting cooperation between ministry departments, universities, research centers, the private sector, cooperatives, unions, and chambers of commerce, industry, and agriculture, to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and appropriate technologies to fields and rural projects. He pointed out that protecting the identity of Lebanese products and developing their manufacturing, packaging, and marketing contributes to increasing their added value, enhancing consumer confidence, and opening wider markets for them.

He called on international organizations and donors, foremost among them the "FAO," to strengthen support for the Lebanese agricultural sector, directing resources and expertise towards programs responding to farmers' needs, supporting production sustainability, and protecting livelihoods in rural areas.

Oman-Lawi

Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme in Lebanon Alison Oman-Lawi confirmed that the occasion comes at a crucial stage for Lebanon, after years of successive crises, noting that challenges still burden families, farmers, and local communities, and that food security represents a daily concern linked to securing nutritious food, facing rising production costs, and restoring livelihoods.

She considered that the slogan "Innovation Today… Food Tomorrow" holds special importance in Lebanon, clarifying that innovation includes improving the use of resources, knowledge, and partnerships, helping farmers adapt, linking producers to new opportunities, and developing assistance mechanisms and national systems supporting access to food. She stressed that its value is measured by its impact on people's lives, especially with continuing needs and pressures on resources.

She explained that the programme continues, under the leadership of the Lebanese government and in cooperation with its partners, to support the most vulnerable families affected by economic difficulties, conflict, and displacement, while simultaneously strengthening food systems and national institutional capacities, helping communities face shocks and reducing their need for humanitarian assistance in the future.

She commended the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and the commitment of Minister Nizar Hani and his team, and the partnership with the "FAO," confirming that protecting production and ensuring access to nutritious food requires integrated efforts from fields to national policies. She also appreciated the role of institutions, municipalities, local organizations, the private sector, and communities, thanking donors for their continued support.

She concluded by emphasizing that enhancing food security begins with investing in humans, local production, institutions, and practical innovation, ensuring that the most vulnerable groups are not left behind, stressing that Lebanon itself must shape and lead the future of its food.

Cuatrola

Representative of the "FAO" in Lebanon Veronica Cuatrola confirmed that World Food Day, celebrated annually on October 16th to commemorate the organization's founding in 1945, carries a fundamental message that food is a right for every human being, and achieving this right requires attention to all stages of its production and delivery to consumers' tables.

She recalled her knowledge of Becherrane, its nature, mountain paths, and its historical connection to routes linking Sidon to the Bekaa Valley and Damascus, considering that the inherited relationship between people, land, and food gives the town its uniqueness and provides a basis for building upon and developing local experiences.

She clarified that innovation includes, alongside artificial intelligence and advanced machinery, practical solutions such as better methods for saving water, an idea brought by a young person to the agricultural sector, or an initiative turning a family recipe into a source of income.

She said: "We must listen before offering solutions, and involve male and female farmers in decisions affecting their lives and work," stressing that technology should be based on their experiences and evolve them.

She considered that the true impact of innovation is measured by its ability to help farmers continue working their lands, and support families in securing their livelihoods and planning their future with greater confidence.

She presented the areas of "FAO" work in Lebanon, from improving production and developing rural projects and facilitating market access, to supporting sustainable management of land, water, and forests and enhancing adaptation to climate change. She also mentioned employing technical expertise and scientific evidence to develop agricultural services and support policies guiding sector recovery.

She commended the partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, confirming the importance of integrating the roles of farmers, universities, researchers, public institutions, and the private sector to transform individual initiatives into opportunities benefiting a larger number of producers.

She thanked Minister Hani for his support in advancing the agricultural sector and enhancing food security, the Municipality of Becherrane and its mayor Walid Khattar, and the teams of "FAO," the World Food Programme, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Shouf Cedar Reserve for their efforts in organizing the event.

Hani

In his speech, Hani affirmed the commitment to every human being's right to sufficient, healthy, and safe food, and to protecting the land and resources that produce it, stressing that uplifting the countryside requires providing job opportunities for its sons, improving the value of their production, and strengthening the foundations for their staying in their villages.

He expressed pride in holding the occasion in Becherrane, the town he belongs to, saying: "Here, as in our Lebanese villages, the land stores stories of generations who planted, endured, and turned their toil into food and dignity."

He added: "The future of the countryside is built when its sons find opportunity for work in their land, value in their production, and reasons for survival and life in their villages."

He thanked the Municipality of Becherrane, the Shouf Cedar Reserve, the Ministry of Agriculture team, and all contributors for organizing the gathering, appreciating the support of brotherly and friendly countries for Lebanon and its farmers, and the continuous cooperation with "FAO" and the World Food Programme in supporting farmers, protecting livelihoods, and assisting rural communities.

He stressed the necessity of linking urgent response with sustainable investments that enhance local production, improve nutrition, and create jobs, clarifying that the ministry works, through the agriculture partners network, to unify efforts and direct funding and expertise according to actual needs and clear priorities.

He confirmed that the success of partnerships is measured by their results in the field, from increased productivity and reduced costs to improved stability of farmers' incomes, with the necessity of delivering support fairly, transparently, and integratively, and subjecting results to measurement and follow-up.

Hani paused at the suffering of farmers in the South, indicating that Israeli attacks targeted lands, trees, farms, and irrigation networks, disrupted seasons, and deprived families of their sources of livelihood. He pointed out that the farmer's inability to reach his field expands the loss to affect his family, village, markets, and the Lebanese table.

He said: "We place rehabilitating agriculture in the South and supporting farmers' steadfastness at the core of our priorities," specifying areas of work including damage assessment, restoring productive infrastructure, rehabilitating irrigation, protecting soil, and supporting the resumption of seasons.

He added that every field regaining its production restores income to a family and life to a village, and enhances Lebanon's capacity to secure its food.

Regarding marketing, he clarified that his visits to brotherly Arab countries fall within efforts to expand markets, address export and transport obstacles, enhance compliance with quality and safety requirements, and attract investment and expertise, confirming follow-up of results with practical steps reflected in marketing opportunities and production value.

The minister linked the concept of innovation to the daily needs of farmers, foremost among them improving production using less water, early pest monitoring, maintaining soil fertility, reducing food waste, and securing safe, traceable products reaching markets at fair prices.

He pointed to the importance of integrating precision agriculture, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence with agricultural extension and farmers' experience, facilitating the use of these tools in accordance with farm sizes, and empowering women, youth, and cooperatives to employ them in productive and sustainable projects.

He greeted farmers, producers, rural women, and youth, considering them the foundation of food security and partners in building the future, concluding: "Tomorrow's food begins with a decision we make today: to invest in our land, in our science, and in the human who cultivates it. Agriculture is the pulse of the earth and life."

Practical Sessions

The celebration included an exhibition of agricultural innovation and a tour of its booths, alongside a session titled "Successful Experiences: Innovation in Agriculture and Food Production," moderated by the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the Lebanese University, Dr. Nadine Nassif, dedicated to presenting experiences in developing agricultural and food production and exchanging expertise.

The program also included an interactive presentation by the Dabana Group titled "Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation in Agriculture," addressing the employment of modern technologies in the agricultural sector and its connection to developing work and production methods.

The sessions complemented an exhibition of Mouna and local food products, accompanied by a village lunch, which allowed highlighting the region's food heritage, introducing its production, and showing opportunities for linking agriculture, food manufacturing, and rural tourism. The program also included a tourist tour to introduce the area's landmarks.

The Becherrane celebration reflected the importance of combining scientific knowledge with inherited experience, and expanding partnerships that provide farmers and producers with practical tools to improve their production, income, and protection of resources, thereby supporting the vitality of Lebanese villages and enhancing food security.