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Lebanon Seeking to ‘Localize’ Wheat Cultivation to Strengthen Food Security

Hajj Hassan tours agricultural fields accompanied by a delegation of experts. (Ministry of Agriculture)
Hajj Hassan tours agricultural fields accompanied by a delegation of experts. (Ministry of Agriculture)
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Lebanon Seeking to ‘Localize’ Wheat Cultivation to Strengthen Food Security

Hajj Hassan tours agricultural fields accompanied by a delegation of experts. (Ministry of Agriculture)
Hajj Hassan tours agricultural fields accompanied by a delegation of experts. (Ministry of Agriculture)

The Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture launched a national campaign to distribute soft wheat to Lebanese farmers, with the aim to “strengthen Lebanon’s food security,” caretaker Minister of Agriculture Abbas Hajj Hassan told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Lebanon relies mainly on imports to secure the necessary amounts of soft wheat needed for bread production. But the country is facing difficulties importing the material, following the country’s financial collapse and the Ukraine crisis, which affected global wheat supplies.

The campaign, which is part of a plan set by the Ministry of Agriculture and adopted by the Lebanese government more than two years ago, is being implemented at an accelerated pace, the minister said, stressing that the primary goal was to fully localize the production of the soft wheat needed to produce flour for making bread.

Hajj Hassan said the plan seeks to help farmers reach higher productivity at a lower cost and achieve stable and sustainable food security.

The project relies on partnerships with existing donor agencies and international organizations, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Program (WFP), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and other international partners.

The Lebanese people and all those displaced on Lebanese territory consume a minimum of 23,000 tons of flour per month. Hence, the Ministry of Agriculture targeted the production of soft wheat, which is used in bread making and is entirely imported, the minister underlined.

Wheat seeds were distributed to all Lebanese regions, except Mount Lebanon which does not boast vast agricultural areas like the Akkar in the north or Baalbek-Hermel in the east. Thus, this issue requires a new phase that would call for expanding agricultural spaces, explained Hajj Hassan.

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Israeli Cluster Bombs Create ‘Renewed’ Disaster in Southern Lebanon

A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)
A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)
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Israeli Cluster Bombs Create ‘Renewed’ Disaster in Southern Lebanon

A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)
A Lebanese soldier works to remove a landmine (Lebanese Army website)

Lebanon is still clearing cluster bombs dropped by Israel during the 2006 war, and reports suggest that the threat is growing. Israel is believed to be using cluster bombs again in southern Lebanon, an area already severely damaged.

While the war continues, some sources in southern Lebanon claim that Israel has dropped cluster bombs, especially in agricultural areas. This could make it impossible for farmers to use the land in the future, as unexploded bombs could detonate at any time. The danger has already caused hundreds of deaths and injuries since 2006.
Before the latest conflict, Lebanon’s Mine Action Center requested four more years to finish clearing the bombs left over from 2006. However, it has not been able to confirm whether Israel has used cluster bombs in this new conflict. The center is waiting for the war to end to confirm the types of weapons used.
Hezbollah accused Israel of using cluster bombs in southern Lebanon in a statement last month, calling on international human rights organizations to condemn the attack.
Hezbollah’s statement, released on Oct. 15, said Israeli forces dropped cluster bombs in several areas, including near the towns of Aalman and Deir Siryan. The group said this action violated international law, especially during wartime.
Retired Gen.
Abdul Rahman Chehaitli, who was Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the Lebanese Army during the 2006 war, explained that Israel dropped cluster bombs just two days before the war ended.
These bombs were dropped randomly, making it impossible to create accurate maps for their removal.
Chehaitli told Asharq Al-Awsat that Lebanon received incomplete maps of the bomb locations from Israel through UNIFIL, but some areas still remain dangerous. Removing these bombs is risky and slow, and unexploded bombs still pose a major threat to civilians.
He warned that the use of cluster bombs in the current conflict could lead to another disaster once the fighting ends.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, Israeli warplanes dropped over 5 million cluster bombs in southern Lebanon during the 2006 war. By 2020, these bombs had killed 58 people and injured around 400 others, many of whom were farmers and shepherds.
The Lebanese Army’s Mine Action Center works with UNIFIL and local and international organizations to remove these bombs. However, a lack of funding has reduced the number of organizations able to help, especially in southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa.
Hassan Faqih, head of the Tobacco and Tombac Farmers’ Union in Lebanon, described the continued threat of cluster bombs. Since 2006, many farmers have been unable to use their land because of unexploded bombs. Some have been injured or disabled after bombs went off.
Faqih told Asharq Al-Awsat that areas like the town of Hamila in the Nabatieh district are still full of unexploded ordnance, preventing farmers from working. He also confirmed that Israel has used cluster bombs again in this conflict.
Local residents can recognize the bombs by their shape and the sounds they make.
Cluster bombs are dropped from aircraft or fired as missiles and contain hundreds of smaller bombs that scatter over a large area. Though intended to target military forces, they are highly dangerous to civilians, especially children.