• Budget: € 800,000  (€ 600,000 EU contribution)
• Location: Lebanon: North (Akkar), South (Hasbaya- Marjayoun and Tyre)
• Date of project: January 2017 – February 2020
• Implementing Partner: Leading: ACTED. Implementing partners: SHIELD in the South; Akkar Network for Development (A.N.D) in the North

Cooperatives represent one of the largest civil society actors in the world. They also represent a strategic opportunity for the development of the agro-food sector in Lebanon. Cooperatives can help achieve economies of scale, secure better negotiation power for farmers and ensure efficient logistics for the distribution of commodities.

Agricultural cooperatives have historically played a crucial role in Lebanon, as important platforms for promoting income generation for vulnerable farmers. They also offer the opportunity for farmers to engage on common issues in the agricultural sector and advocate for their interests to the national government institutes such as the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).

However, Lebanese cooperatives face many barriers including low internal capacity and poor financial processes, lack of engagement towards institutional entities and of lack of skilled members engaged in the marketing and creation of private sector networks.

These challenges, along with the lack of a comprehensive national agricultural strategy, are hindering the sustainable development of cooperatives, making them fragile value chain actors.