LEBANON — Lebanon launched a €7.5 million project aimed at strengthening local economies and boosting the resilience of the country’s struggling agricultural sector, in a move backed by the German government and implemented in partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The initiative, titled “Strengthening the Local Economy in Lebanon” (SEL), is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and will focus on supporting farmers and small- and medium-sized agricultural enterprises across North Lebanon, Akkar, Mount Lebanon and the Bekaa.
The project was officially launched during a signing ceremony between Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture and GIZ, attended by Agriculture Minister Dr. Nizar Hani and GIZ Lebanon Country Director Matthias Wagner.
According to the ministry, the program seeks to improve agricultural value chains, expand market access, strengthen institutional coordination and enhance the technical and administrative capacities of stakeholders involved in agricultural production and rural development.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Hani said the project forms part of the ministry’s broader strategy to shift Lebanon’s agricultural sector “from crisis management to sustainable development and high productivity.”
He said the ministry is pursuing a scientific and integrated approach focused on supporting farmers, improving product quality, strengthening rural economies and creating sustainable job opportunities for youth and women.
Hani also warned that Lebanon’s agricultural sector continues to face mounting pressures from the country’s economic crisis, regional instability, climate change and Israeli attacks, stressing that international partnerships remain essential to improving the sector’s ability to recover and grow.
For his part, Wagner described the project as an extension of the growing cooperation between GIZ and Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry in recent years, particularly in institutional development, coordination mechanisms and capacity building.
Germany has been among the key international donors supporting Lebanon’s economic recovery efforts, with agriculture increasingly viewed as a critical sector for food security, rural stability and long-term economic growth.
