Training facilitators to guide farmers in Farm Business Schools all over Lebanon

Over a period of two weeks, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Lebanon, through a project funded by the European Union, trained facilitators on the Farm Business School (FBS) approach.

The facilitators are now able to guide farmers from all over Lebanon in managing their farm operations and making their farming enterprises more profitable.

Coming from different regions, facilitators from the Ministry of Agriculture’s regional agricultural centres and from one University were trained on facilitating farmers to develop business concepts, and helping them to reconceptualise their farms as businesses.

This training activity is within the framework of the project “Enhancing resilient livelihoods and food security of host communities and Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon through the promotion of sustainable agricultural development”, funded by the European Union, and implemented by FAO, WFP and IFAD in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture.

FAO provided to the 20 facilitators (18 facilitators from MoA agricultural centres and 2 facilitators from the University of Balamand) a systematic guidance and exercises on how to successfully run a Farm Business School (FBS). FBS is a curriculum-based and participatory extension approach, which aims to promote market orientation and “farming as a business”, through a shift in focus from production to improving farm management and profitability.

Trainees learned new concepts and ideas mostly revolving around farm business and management, marketing, participatory learning approaches and communication. They also had the opportunity to discuss the way forward and suggestions for organizing and managing the FBS.

“This is the first time we learn about business management. We learned new concepts and ideas we haven’t been introduced to before. This is important to us and the farmers” said one facilitator, who was happy not only with the training but with the friendly atmosphere of all participants who worked together for two weeks.

“The training was helpful. We are able to support farmers and guide them properly based on the new concepts we acquired” said another facilitator.

“The training could not be timelier,” said one facilitator. “In this difficult period for the country, we are being trained to offer the most important guidance to farmers on how to run their farm business and how to make them profitable. It is as if we are telling farmers, we are here to help you in this field" he said. 

Brief on the project “Enhancing resilient livelihoods and food security of host communities and Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon through the promotion of sustainable agricultural development”

The project responds to the reduced livelihood and food security levels as a result of the crisis in Syria, in both Jordan and Lebanon. It tackles the negative impact of the crisis on the host communities through support to the agriculture sector through improving the agricultural productivity and farmers’ income in addition to the creation of job opportunities for both host communities and displaced Syrians. The project promotes social protection mechanisms for the benefit of the host farming communities and the displaced population.

About the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian crisis, the EU Madad Fund:

Since its establishment in December 2014, a significant share of the EU’s non-humanitarian aid for Syria’s neighbouring countries is provided through the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, the EU ‘Madad’ Fund. The Trust Fund brings a more coherent and integrated EU aid response to the crisis and primarily addresses economic, educational, protection, social, and health needs of refugees from Syria in neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq, and supports overstretched local communities and their administrations.

For more information about the EU Trust Fund, please visit here.