“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” This belief is not just a quote, but it reflects how The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) has worked alongside communities since 1998. Through years of economic hardship, political instability and social strain, LOST has remained committed to empowering women and youth, reducing poverty and strengthening social cohesion by placing participation and ownership at the center of development.
Yet nothing fully prepared Lebanon for the scale of its recent collapse. Systems faltered, livelihoods contracted and agriculture, once a pillar of rural stability, became increasingly fragile, particularly for smallholder farmers facing rising costs, weak infrastructure and volatile markets. And still, in Baalbek, a different trajectory began to take shape. It started with a simple but ambitious question: what if farmers were supported not only with training, but with infrastructure, market access and long-term technical accompaniment? What if agriculture could once again become a source of resilience rather than vulnerability?
The Baalbek Community Farm was the first step, an experiment in collective production and shared responsibility. What began as an idea gradually evolved into an integrated system linking production, processing and markets. This evolution culminated in the launch of the Agro-Industrial Incubator in February 2023, marking a shift from fragmented interventions toward coordinated systems. Processing, quality control, technical expertise and branding were brought together under one structure designed to address food insecurity, generate employment, particularly for women and youth and restore dignity to agricultural work.
Building on this foundation and with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, LOST launched the Integrated Extension Program (IEP) as a flagship rural development initiative. The goal was clear: to move beyond isolated agricultural support toward a fully integrated value-chain system, first in Baalbek-Hermel and then extending to Zahle and surrounding areas.
Through IEP, 550 farming households, reaching approximately 2,750 individuals, began receiving structured, year-round support spanning production, veterinary care, processing and marketing. Women’s participation was deliberately prioritized, recognizing their central role in farm management and household resilience.
For dairy farmers, change began at the farm level. Improved herd management, nutritional analysis and proactive veterinary services led to better productivity and milk quality. Raw milk collected under improved standards entered the “Al Qaria” dairy facility, where it was transformed into labneh, cheese, yogurt and butter, value-added products capable of competing in formal markets.
Cereal and pulses farmers were integrated into a parallel system. Access to machinery reduced production costs, technical guidance improved farming practices and post-harvest losses declined through structured cleaning, grading and sorting. Crops that once struggled to find stable markets could now be processed, packaged and marketed under a unified brand.
What distinguishes this model is integration. Farmers are no longer isolated producers exposed to price volatility. They are part of a coordinated value chain where production, processing, branding and market access are interconnected. IEP also recognized that resilience is social as much as economic. Youth were engaged through Cash-for-Work opportunities, women-led farms received solar systems to reduce operational costs and farmers’ committees were established to strengthen collaboration and local governance.
From this ecosystem, “Al Qaria” emerged not merely as a brand, but as a symbol of collective effort, local production rooted in heritage and strengthened by modern standards. Its facilities and systems are designed to continue serving farmers beyond the lifespan of the project itself, embedding sustainability in infrastructure, management and community ownership.
In a country where many rural families consider leaving agriculture behind, IEP offers another path. It shows that when farmers are involved rather than merely assisted, they adapt and rebuild. And when value chains are integrated, livelihoods become more stable. The story of the Integrated Extension Program is still unfolding. But its direction is clear: agriculture in the Bekaa is no longer only about producing food, it is about building an ecosystem where communities learn, produce, process and grow, together.
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