The Agricultural and Value chain Development (AVD) project was concluded in a ceremony in Baalbeck in the presence of the German Ambassador to Lebanon Andreas Kindl, and representatives of the region’s farmers, agricultural community, military forces, international and local NGOs, and mayors.
After presenting a video segment of the project’s stages, LOST’s founder, Dr. Ramy Lakkis, said, “Successive governments did not address the agricultural sector properly, so the project continued to fill in the gap, in partnership with the German state and Welthungerhilfe.” He added, “In this project, two million and 200 thousand seedlings were planted, and if each seedling earned one dollar, this means that you- farmers- have contributed with more than two million dollars to the economic cycle of our country.”
The German Ambassador addressed the farmers, “Through this project you were able to produce considerable income that helped you make a living. You can feel proud and confident that you can continue working in the agricultural field after this project.” He continued, “We have supported the Lebanese host community, the Lebanese state, and the Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, and in the last year, we contributed with about 240 million euros to the economic development, and this is part of our policy to support the entire region.”
In the end, a dialogue session took place between the farmers, attendants, and the Ambassador in which further needs and possible aspects of cooperation were discussed.
