The agony of lebanese agriculture: at the crossroads of crises, between collapse and the absence of a sustainable model

Abstract

By failing to properly value Lebanon’s diverse resources, the elites have
never managed to build a sustainable development model for the country,
especially for the agricultural sector, and to ensure its food security.
Since October 2019, the country has faced multiple unprecedented crises
(political, financial, economic, health, security) that require decisions
the political class seems unable to make. This crisis of politics has led to
economic collapse and to a deep crisis in natural resources and their use
in agricultural production, reinforcing the dualism between subsistence
farming and innovative agriculture. While the consequences for producers
are still difficult to quantify, their impoverishment is certain in a context
of hyperinflation and the devaluation of the Lebanese pound. Without a
long-term strategic vision, the agricultural sector will stay uncompetitive and deeply marked by structural dualism and the deterioration of the country’s
natural resources. It struggles to survive, further exacerbating Lebanon’s
food insecurity against a backdrop of regional conflict.