Lebanon celebrates World Food Day 2018

16 October, 2018, Beirut - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture in Lebanon, in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP) celebrated World Food Day 2018, under the theme: ‘Our Actions are our Future: A #ZeroHunger world by 2030 is possible’ . The ceremony was organized at the Coral Beach Hotel in Beirut under the patronage of H.E. Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Ghazi Zeaiter.

The official ceremony included speeches by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Ghazi Zeaiter, the Director General of Agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Louis Lahoud, the FAO Representative in Lebanon, Dr. Maurice Saade, and the WFP Representative in Lebanon, Mr. Abdallah Al Wardat. Following the ceremony, a panel discussion focusing on Lebanese youth and their potential opportunities in the agriculture sector was held. Panel members of high profile agriculture and economic experts presented these opportunities in respect to the institution they represent and/or their area of expertise. Some 65 final year university students specializing in agriculture, as well as final year agriculture Baccalaureate Technique (BT) students attended the discussion and had the opportunity to engage in a Q&A session with the panel members. The members included: economic expert and former Minister of Finance, Mr. Damianos Kattar, agriculture and development expert and former Minister, Ms. Wafa’s Dikah, Vice President and Treasurer of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Mr. Nabil Fahed - representing the President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon, Mr. Mohamed Choucair, and finally representing the President of the Syndicate of Lebanese Food Industries, Mr. Ahmad Hoteit - his deputy, Mr. Mounir Al Bsat. Renowned Lebanese economic journalist, Ms. Jessy Trad, moderated the panel discussion, and a number of high profile official figures, representatives of embassies, UN agencies, civil society organizations, university deans and the media also participated in the event.

The panel discussion was followed by two interactive exhibitions; the first included infographic displays highlighting the importance of reducing food waste, where Lebanese apples - known for their abundance in the country - were distributed along with a six recipe home cookbook titled ‘Cooking with Apples’ to encourage the use of left-over apple as an ingredient in savory dishes, and therefore contribute to the decrease in apple waste.

The second exhibition featured FAO’s project ‘Upgrading the Technical Agriculture Education System in Lebanon’, a five year project funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and implemented in collaboration with AVSI, ILO, and UNICEF. This project aims to upgrade the seven technical agriculture schools in Lebanon, while offering enrollment opportunities to young Syrian and Lebanese students. This will allow young Lebanese graduates to have a better chance in accessing the job market, and will provide young displaced Syrians in Lebanon the necessary technical qualifications and official diplomas to be able to contribute to the post-conflict reconstruction of their country. The exhibition featured 19 year old Lebanese student and beneficiary, Hadi Hamza, who started producing honey in his second technical school year, and is now selling his produce in towns nearby his village in South Lebanon. Hadi distributed samples of his honey to the event’s attendees, while other students demonstrated their work on vertical gardens. The project’s booth also included a photo exhibition with pictures dated in the 1960s of agriculture students attending the technical agriculture schools, and are now prominent figures in the agriculture sector worldwide and in Lebanon.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day on 16 October each year, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. This day is celebrated by more than 150 countries worldwide.