A joint effort to support Lebanon’s agri-food sector is underway across the country’s rural heartlands. Farmers long challenged by unpredictable markets and volatile incomes are beginning to find greater stability through contract farming. The ongoing initiative “Supporting Agri-SMEs in Addressing Supply Chain Disruptions and Enhancing Market Access in Lebanon” is led by the International Labour Organization in collaboration with the QOOT Agri-Food Innovation Cluster. The initiative connects producers directly with agri-food processors, creating long-term partnerships that reduce reliance on intermediaries.
Strengthening Supply Chains
The QOOT Cluster draws on its expertise in food innovation and cluster management to foster SME growth and strengthen Lebanon’s agrifood sector, while raising its profile regionally and internationally. The ILO initiative implemented in collaboration with the QOOT Cluster works to improve supply chains, enhance market linkages, and support the sector’s long-term sustainability.
Targeted interventions have helped SMEs overcoming supply chain bottlenecks, reconnect with alternative sources of raw materials, and strengthen their operations. At the same time, farmers receive technical support to upgrade their production practices and improve quality to meet processor requirements.
At the heart of the initiative is contract farming. This model strengthens supply chains, improves market linkages, and offers farmers greater security while providing processors with a reliable flow of high-quality produce.
By shifting away from unstable wholesale markets, the intervention reduces food loss and costs for farmers, cuts transport emissions, and ensures processors steady access to local inputs. This approach is fostering long-term trust across the value chains and laying the groundwork for a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood sector in Lebanon.
Capacity Building for Farmers
Through comprehensive assessments, targeted workshops, and field visits, more than 30 farmers across Mount Lebanon, North, Akkar, South, Nabatiyeh, Baalbek – Hermel and Bekaa have embraced the contract farming model. Capacity-building sessions covered principles of contract farming, quality assurance, market readiness, crop planning for high-demand varieties, and good agricultural practices for sustainability.
On-the-Ground Impact
Farmers Rajwa Berjas from Brih El Chouf and Antoine Bou Khaled from Hammana Metn were linked to Grabbit, a local cherry processor. Weekly pricing agreements helped them cut transport costs, reduce spoilage, and secure a steadier income.
“The best part is stability,” Bou Khaled said. “Knowing my cherries are going straight to a processor nearby means less stress and better returns.”
Pepper producer Mahmoud Zeitouni from El Kalaa found a solution for specialty varieties such as jalapeños and habaneros. Through the initiative, he connected with Melqart, a hot sauce processor.
“Now these peppers are a sought-after product,” Zeitouni explained, “and I know exactly where they’re going and what I’ll earn.”
Credit Photo: Elie Mansour/ILO
Processors like Halim Aboulhosn, owner of Melqart, are also seeing the benefits of these partnerships firsthand.
“It’s not just about the returns,” he explained, “it’s about careful planning, securing consistent supply, and ensuring high-quality produce to meet our operational and market needs.”
Through partnerships with local farmers, Melqart has established contract farming arrangements that guarantee substantial quantities of quality ingredients while expanding into new markets in Lebanon and abroad.
Looking Ahead
By moving away from unstable wholesale markets, the intervention is helping farmers and processors alike by:
- Reducing food loss and transport emissions
- Cutting costs for farmers
- Increasing processors’ access to high-quality local inputs
- Fostering long-term trust and stability across the value chain
The establishment of contract farming between farmers and processors is a milestone achievement, but it is only the beginning. Lebanese farmers collaborating with SMEs through contract farming help secure jobs for agricultural workers, with ongoing farm support to ensure practices meet quality standards for processing, thereby improving workers’ skills and job stability.
By scaling this model, the ILO-QOOT partnership aims to ensure that more farmers across Lebanon can safeguard livelihoods, strengthen their communities, and contribute to a more resilient agricultural future.
This initiative is part of the ILO project BOUZOUR, funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), and the PROSPECTS programme, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
