Context
Presently, Lebanon is still trying to recover from the aftermath of the war in 2023 and 2024, while some parts of the territory continue to be regularly bombed. In the South, over 40,000 housing units have been wiped out in 37 devastated southern Lebanese villages, thousands of trees have been burned and uprooted, and the soil has been contaminated by heavy metals and white phosphorus, a chemical that reduces fertility and increases soil acidity, leaving lasting scars on agricultural land, threatening future harvests, and contaminating the food we eat, leading to serious health issues.
Lebanon’s agricultural sector is mostly conventional and relies heavily on imported biocides and fertilizers. Inflation has increased the cost of these synthetic chemicals by at least tenfold. Other costs, such as labor, seeds, transportation, and machinery maintenance, have also risen sharply. All these factors have exacerbated an already deteriorating economic situation for farmers and their families across the country.
Today, the majority of farmers in Lebanon are considered “small farmers.” Small-scale farming is considered more of a social than an economic form of agriculture. These practices typically take the form of ‘family farms,’ where individual families own and operate the land. Small-scale family farms form the foundation of rural Lebanese peasant life, which in many ways carries on Lebanese cultural identity, heritage, and values.
Despite the major importance of these farms’ work for our collective survival, smallholder farmers are among the most underprivileged in the country. In the northern governorate, for example, one out of four farmers lives below the poverty line, and many seasonal agricultural workers are overworked, spending long hours in the fields with little compensation.
Goals
This project aims to develop a fairer and environmentally sustainable food sector in Lebanon, grounded in the principles of food sovereignty. The project will focus on:
- Restoring soils in southern Lebanon to regenerate farmland damaged by war;
- Strengthening farmers’ knowledge, capacities and skills to support their transition to sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural practices;
- Support environmental justice education.
Activities
Activities of this project may include:
- Working with technical experts to assess environmental damage and contamination levels, design bioremediation strategies, and share the project’s findings with local farmers and stakeholders;
- Delivering educational and knowledge-sharing activities across the entire farming ecosystem;
- Raising awareness and build knowledge on environmental justice through curriculum development, instructor training, and support for the necessary infrastructure to deliver these educational programs.
Key Performance Indicators to be reached (KPIs)
Over the next 3 years, the project aims to:
- Restore 50,000 sqm of land in southern Lebanon;
- Double the number of model farms, increasing from 20 to 40, providing practical examples that can inspire and guide hundreds of local farmers;
- Ensure that each location has at least one instructor qualified to train a minimum of 20 children or youth annually on the principles of environmental justice.
Myriad Canada is working with JIBAL – Association Pour La Justice Environnementale et Sociale au Liban on this project, a not-for-profit association founded in Beirut in 2017 to promote and advance social and environmental justice in Lebanon through the furthering of collective organization, accessible and open knowledge, and regenerative principles. In times of crises, and in particular war, Jibal shifted a large part of its work towards emergency response.
Jibal was founded by Angela Saade and Ounsi El Daif, founding members of the French NGO Tabadol and Eedama Advisors respectively. Jibal believes that a harmonious world entails the fair sharing of the environment and of natural resources, on the one hand, and the recognition of reciprocal relations of equality and of the redistribution of wealth, on the other.
Myriad Canada’s role is to carry out charitable activities across the globe in accordance with its charitable purposes. We control and monitor the use of funds and the progress of charitable activities to ensure that donations made to Myriad Canada have the greatest impact in accordance with donors’ expressed wishes. As a member of the Myriad Alliance with offices in Canada, the US, Europe, Asia and Australia, Myriad Canada has a vast international network and extensive practical expertise.
How to support this project?
By credit card: At the top right of this page, indicate the amount you wish to donate, and make the donation online by credit card. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes by e-mail just a few minutes after making the donation. It is simple and fast!
By cheque:
- Make your cheque out to Myriad Canada.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: We receive a lot of cheques! You must please indicate “Project H503 – Restoring Land and Empowering Farmers in southern Lebanon” in the memo line of your cheque to ensure that it is allocated correctly.
- Mail your cheque to: Myriad Canada, 1 Place Ville Marie, Suite 1670, Montreal, QC, H3B 2B6, Canada.
By Direct Deposit:
- For transfer instructions, please email or call Caroline Chaulet: caroline@myriadcanada.org or +1 514-481-2000.
For Donation of Securities:
- Please email or call Caroline Chaulet: caroline@myriadcanada.org or +1-438-300-8122.
For Monthly Donations:
- We use CanadaHelps. Please find the link here.
All donations are eligible for a tax receipt in Canada.
The projects are managed with the greatest care and professionalism.