Agriculture in Lebanon

Agriculture in Lebanon is the third most important sector in the country after the tertiary and industrial sectors.
It contributes nearly 7% to GDP and employs around
15% of the active population. Main crops include cereals
(mainly wheat and barley), fruits and vegetables, olives,
grapes, and tobacco, along with sheep and goat herding. Mineral resources are limited and are only exploited
for domestic consumption.[1] Lebanon, which has a variety of agricultural lands, from the interior plateau of
the Beqaa Valley to the narrow valleys leading downward
to the sea, enables farmers to grow both European and
tropical crops. Tobacco and gs are grown in the south,
citrus fruits and bananas along the coast, olives in the
north and around the Shouf Mountains, and fruits and
vegetables in the Beqaa Valley. More exotic crops include avocados, grown near Byblos, and hashish (a major
crop in the Beqaa Valley).[2]

During Roman rule, the Beqaa Valley was considered to be the

granary of Ancient Rome.

however agriculture was not their main source of wealth

because most of the land was not arable; therefore, they
focused on commerce and trading instead. They did,
however, raise sheep and sell them and their wool.

Lebanons agriculture, which oers fertile land, landscaped terraces, and fresh and healthy produce, faces several challenges in recent years. Improper agricultural
practices leading to soil erosion and impoverishment, depletion of underground water resources, water pollution
and health impacts from inappropriate use of pesticides
and fertilizers, and environmental pollution from haphazard dumping of slaughter waste and animal farms
are from the main problems of this sector. Agriculture is also diminishing to rampant urbanization, such
as in the coastal plains and in parts of the Beqaa Valley. The governments policies appear to be targeting the
increase in the availability of water irrigation (especially
in the South) and controlling the use of pesticides, with
no or little investment or incentives for water- and soilconserving irrigation techniques. The private sector is
gradually taking advantage of new but small scale opportunities oered by organic farming and high-value agricultural produce.[3]

During the Arab rule, in the Middle ages, the country enjoyed an economic boom in which the Lebanese harbors
of Tyre and Tripoli were busy with shipping of industrial and agricultural products. Lebanese products were
sought after not only in Arab countries but also throughout the Mediterranean Basin. This period of economic
growth was later oppressed with the beginning of the
Ottoman rule and the high taxes imposed on the Lebanese
production.

History

See also: Phoenicians and wine

Agriculture in Lebanon dates back to Phoenician times
with the rst trading activities tacking place in the eastern
Mediterranean. The wine making tradition, which has a
5,000 years of history in the region was a known skill for
its ancient dwellers. The Phoenicians tended vineyards,
made wine and exported a signicant amount to neighboring countries such as Egypt, Greece and Assyria.[4]
Although the trading activity was active in that period,

Beirut in the 19th century. In that period, even the capital had a
signicant portion of agricultural land, along with the bordering
rural regions.

In the rst half of the 20th century, Lebanon had regained

its past agricultural boom where almost one-fourth of its
land had been cultivable (the highest proportion in the
Arab world). After the 1950s and the prosperous decades
1

that followed, agriculture faced a decline with the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War and especially after the
Israeli invasion in the early 1980s. In the latter period,
the government prepared plans to irrigate an additional
60,000 hectares, and by 1984 studies were under way
on 6 major irrigation projects, all designed to be carried
out as part of the 1982-91 reconstruction plan. However,
with the Israeli invasion came a continuous diversion of
water from rivers mainly located in the south. Even in
the relative calm between 1978 and 1981, about 1,100
hectares of tobacco were destroyed, 300 hectares of agricultural land were abandoned because of land mines, and
51,000 olive trees and 70,000 fruit trees were destroyed,
according to the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees. By the mid-1980s Lebanon had become one of
the worlds most prominent narcotics tracking centers,
with the prosperous phase that it witnessed (especially in
the Beqaa valley). Before 1975 much of this trade was
exported by air from small airstrips in the Beqaa Valley.
After the valley came under Syrian control, the drug crop
left the country by sea through Christian-controlled ports
to Cyprus, overland to Syria or sometimes through Israel
to Egypt.[2]
In the early 1990s, the Lebanese government and the
UNDP program launched an initiative to replace drug
crops with legitimate alternatives. The UNDP estimated
some $300 million was required for rural development of
the Beqaa. Lebanon was removed from the U.S. governments list of major drug producing countries in 1997.[5]
Nowadays, the Lebanese government is setting new agricultural policies, providing help to the local production
and giving several incentives in order to increase the quality and quantity of Lebanese production.

Major agricultural products

Lebanon produces a variety of primary products for both

export and domestic consumption. Lebanese agricultural exports are mainly concentrated in the Arab League
countries. In 2003, exported commodities had an approximate amount of 350,000 metric tons to the surrounding region (mainly Saudi Arabia) with potatoes being the
most growing vegetable (30% of total exports).[6] Other
regions that import Lebanese agricultural products include the North American countries (3,123 metric ton
and 1% of total exports in 2003) mainly USA which imports products such as almonds, apricots, beans, cucumbers and gherkins, nuts edible and orange juice along
with other EU members.[7] This table includes the top
ten Lebanese exported agricultural products for the year
2004:

Mt = Metric Ton

MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Olive elds in Amioun, El-Koura district.

2.1 Crops
Lebanon produces crops in ve major categories: cereals,
fruits (not including olives), olives, industrial crops (such
as sugar beet and tobacco), and vegetables. Fruit and olive
trees occupy 45% of the total cultivated area, and have increased by about 230,000 m2 in the past 10 years. The
area covered by greenhouse production has also significantly increased over the past years, from 6,700 m2 in
the late 1980s to almost 50,000 m2 in 1999. Agricultural
production in greenhouses is more intensive than in open
elds and requires more agro-chemicals (pesticides and
fertilizers). Agricultural production is concentrated in the
Beqaa, which accounts for 42% of total cultivated land.
The Beqaa hosts 62% of the total area used for industrial crops (including sugar beet, tobacco, and vineyards)
and 57% of the total area used for cereal production. The
North (Akkar and Koura regions) host 40% the area used
for olive production in the country. Fruit trees cover 24%
of the total cultivated area.[3] This table lists the land used
for major types of crops by Governorates (in m2 ) for year
1999:[3]

2.2 Livestock
Livestock production in Lebanon is an important activity, particularly in mountainous areas and in the Baalbek
Hermel area on the eastern mountain chain where soil fertility is relatively low. While the number of goats have
been relatively stable for more than two decades, sheep
production has increased sharply. In recent years, livestock production (goats and sheep) has relied increasingly on feed blocks and feed supplements, thereby reducing dependence on wild grazing and ultimately leading to more sedentary animal production. Bovines and
dairy production is becoming increasingly popular. In
the past ve years, several medium-to large-scale dairy
farms have been established in the North and in the Beqaa. Several grant and loan agreements (proposed by organizations such as USAID) have encouraged farmers to
expand dairy production.[3] The table shows the evolution

2.5

Dairy

of livestock production from 1980 to 1999:

2.3

Horticulture

Lebanon produces a variety of fruits and vegetables. The

largest crops (more than 20 kilo tonnes in 2003) include potatoes, oranges, apples and grapes. Exotic crops
include avocados mainly in north Mount Lebanon and
hashish in the Beqaa valley.[6]

3
7% of the top 5 imports between the two countries bilateral trade in 2005.[10]

2.5 Dairy

Horticulture has traditionally provided the Lebanese with

all their fresh fruit and vegetable needs, with a smaller
export industry. However, loosened border controls and
increasing imports have threatened local industries. In
recent years governmental projects such as Export Plus
have put into action the encouragement of local fruits and
vegetables production, quality control and investment incentives for farmers in order to boost their produce and
raise the level of the Lebanese horticulture industry. The
tables below show the exported quantities of major crops
(Metric tons) which include potatoes, apples and grapes,
from 2002 to 2005:

In recent statistics from the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, there were 80,000 cattle, including 65,000 dairy
cows, 350,000 sheep, including 315,000 milk sheep, and
450,000 goats, including 400,000 dairy goats. Of the
dairy cows, 40% are of the local breed, 26% are purebred Friesian imported from Germany and Holland and
34% are crosses between Baladi and Canadian Holstein.
The Friesian and the crossbred Holsteins have a generally good milk production and are kept, for the most part,
on small farms, with an average of ve cows per farm.
The majority of the sheep are Awassi and goats are local
Baladi. Both are kept in extensive and semi-sedentary
systems, where productivity is low.[11] The value of exported dairy products have been diminishing in recent
years except for cheese which has gained a signicant rise
in its value. This table shows the variations in value of
Lebanese exports from 2001 to 2004:[12]

2.4

2.6 Fishing

Viticulture

Main article: Lebanese wine

Viticulture in Lebanon, which is considered a thriving

Docked shing boats at the harbor of Tyre, South Lebanon.

Vineyards near Zahl, in the central Beqaa Valley.

industry nowadays, is mainly concentrated in the Beqaa Valley with wineries producing an annual amount
of approximately 600,000 cases of wine. Wineries like
Chateau Ksara, Chteau Kefraya, Chateau Musar and
Massaya grow French wine varieties such as Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot and Rhone varietals such as Cinsaut,
Carignan and Grenache, along with some indigenous
grapes like the Musar White, a blend o Obaideh and Merwah. Lebanese wine has an export success, with many
wineries exporting over 50% of their production and
in the case of smaller wineries, as much as 90%.[9] Exports cover several European and North American countries, Frances Lebanese wine imports for example had

In a 1999 report done by the Regional Socio-Economic

Development Program for South Lebanon indications
reveal that Lebanon has 3,000 to 4,000 shermen. Annual sh production in 1996 doubled in average over a
phase of ten years, with production amounting to 4,485
tonnes (4,110 tonnes of sea sh and 375 tonnes of freshwater sh, mostly in sh farms). Fishing in rivers has
relatively small importance in Lebanon with productions
signicantly taking place in the Qaraoun lake (about 30
tonnes per year of mainly carp and trout production) and
other rivers such as the Litani and Nahr Ibrahim.
While sea sh production in Lebanon is compared to
that of neighboring countries on a km of coastline basis,
freshwater sh production continues to lag behind. Absence of sea sh breeding along the coast due to strong

coastal currents have been substituted by oshore shing of pelagic sh (such as Tuna, Blue sh, etc.) using draglines. This type of shing has become trendy in
the past decade, mostly among sports amateurs equipped
with motor speedboats.[3]

Governance

Agriculture is a state responsibility in Lebanon, where the

ministry of agriculture is involved in setting agricultural
policies and regulations. In the 1990s, the Lebanese government has awarded 89 contracts in the agricultural sector worth a total of US$13.6 million and an additional
46 projects in the irrigation sector, worth US$51.8 million. Contracts include consultancy and design, as well as
works and equipment supply. Capital investment in the
agricultural sector includes the rehabilitation of the Ministry of Agriculture, land reclamation projects, as well as
the rehabilitation of agricultural schools and research stations. The agricultural sector is struggling to survive in
a competitive regional market. Through loans and grant
agreements, the government has implemented large-scale
irrigation projects and has taken steps to ban a long list of
hazardous pesticides. However, there are many problems
facing the agricultural development with eective extension programs, use of water-conserving irrigation techniques, and rational use of agro-chemicals still scant or
localized.[3]

3.1

Key Policies and Actions

Banning dangerous pesticides, the ministry of agriculture banned 110 pesticides in 1998, including
aldrin, dieldrin, endrin and DDT.
Safe handling of obsolete pesticides, FAO supported a project in 1998 (US$101,000) to assist the
Lebanese government in eliminating a stock of 8.5
tonnes of pesticides and train the sta of the Agricultural Research Institute to manage and handle the
pesticides stock.
Phasing out methyl bromide, the ministry of economy initiated the Methyl Bromide Alternatives
Project in May 1999. The project has shown the eciency of all available alternatives to methyl bromide
over four consecutive growing seasons in 19 sites
around the country, totaling 52 greenhouses covering a total area of 20.5 km2 .
Land reclamation projects:

REFERENCES

3. Supported the construction of several earth-lined

hill lakes (total capacity of 5,300,000 m3 ) and cement reservoirs (total capacity 500,000 m3 ).
4. Terraced approximately 16,000 hectares. This is
equivalent to 6.3% of the total surface area currently
under cultivation.
Improving water management, Canal 800 (a series of surface water distribution networks) and the
IRMP will convert/add 32,255 hectares to irrigated
agriculture. These irrigation schemes are designed
to tap surface water resources and may therefore alleviate current demand pressure on groundwater.
Promoting organic farming, the introduction and
improvement of certied and labeled organic produce to local and foreign markets.[3]
In September 1995, Lebanon through the Ministry of
Agriculture signed the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertication (UNCCD). Lebanon has requested assistance from the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) to support the implementation
of the Convention and to establish a National Action
Programme for Combating Desertication which was
launched in June 2003. The NAP project has four immediate goals:
1. Promotion of Innovative Trade Initiatives Promoted
to Increase Market Opportunities for Dryland Products
2. Sub-national and Local Level NAP Priority Projects
Implemented
3. Developing a National Resource Mobilization Strategy for UNCCD/NAP Implementation
4. Flood Risk Management and Water Harvesting for
Livelihood Recovery in Baalback-Hermel

4 See also
Geography of Lebanon
Mediterranean climate
Eastern Mediterranean
broadleaf forests

1. Provided assistance, either nancial or technical, to

1407 farmers.

5 References

2. Reclaimed 756 hectares of abandoned lands.

[13]

conifer-sclerophyllous-

[1] http://www.fita.org/countries/lebanon.html, Lebanon,

Main branches of industry, January 2008. Retrieved on
2008-06-22.
[2] http://countrystudies.us/lebanon/71.htm, U.S. Library of
Congress, Agriculture. Retrieved on 2008-06-22.
[3] Lebanon State of the Environment Report (PDF). Ministry of Environment/LEDO. Archived from the original
(.pdf) on October 5, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
[4] http://www.lebwine.com/, Wine of Lebanon. Retrieved
on 2008-06-25.
[5] http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,
1672244,00.html, A Comeback for Lebanons Hashish,
Nicholas Blanford. Retrieved on 2008-06-25.
[6] Export Plus Report, January 2004 (.pdf). Investment
Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL). Retrieved
2008-06-22.
[7] http://www.nationmaster.com/country/le-lebanon/
agr-agriculture, LEBANESE AGRICULTURE STATS.
Retrieved on 2008-06-22.
[8] http://www.fao.org/es/ess/toptrade/trade.asp?lang=
EN&dir=exp&country=121, Exports: Commodities by
country, Lebanon, 2004. Retrieved on 2008-06-22.
[9] WINE & SPECIALTY FOODS (.pdf). Emerging
Lebanon 2005 Industry and Retail. Retrieved 2008-0623.
[10] Lebanon - France Trade Statistics 2000-2005 (PDF).
Trade Statistics. Archived from the original (.pdf) on
November 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
[11] http://www.ilri.org/infoserv/webpub/fulldocs/wana/
Lebanon.htm, Lebanon country paper, C. Hilan.
Retrieved on 2008-06-23.
[12] http://www.intracen.org/tradstat/sitc3-3d/er422.htm, International Trade Center, Exports 20012005 Reporter:
Lebanon. Retrieved on 2008-06-23.
[13] ." " .

External links
Ministry of Agriculture
FAO Lebanon - Agriculture sector
Agriculture Sector in Lebanon -
, Link to PDF Book (12 MB).

7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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