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According to two separate surveys by the ‘Insider Monkey’ report on ethnic relations, Lebanon has scored an advanced position among Arab states as the most racist country, and ranked second after India on the global map. While the first survey included a question about whether a person minds having neighbors from other ethnicities, the second was more direct in asking about the person’s reaction if he/she was exposed to or if he/she witnessed a racist incident. The main findings of the above survey which targeted over 85 thousand people in some 61 countries  between the years 2014 and 2015, have shown the following: Nearly 36.3% of Lebanese respondents said they were intolerant to neighbors from a different race, and 64.3% confirmed to have witnessed incidents of a racist feature. On the subject, Al Akhbar daily considered that the Lebanese discriminatory tendency was first demonstrated with the arrival of the Palestinian refugees and was later exacerbated with the influx of migrant women domestic workers, Syrian laborers and climaxed with the inflow of displaced Syrian nationals. In this respect, the former labor minister, Charbel Nahhas, pointed out to a deep-rooted bigotry in Lebanon largely exhibited in ministerial communiques. He mentioned the 1992 memo published by the labor ministry which sorted out foreign workers into different categories. The first category includes representatives, agents and CEOs of foreign companies, in addition to owners of commercial and non-industrial businesses and the second comprises all the remaining foreign employers; the third category embraces foreign laborers working at national or foreign establishments, and this, was sub divided into three hierarchal classes based on a scale of salaries. The fourth and last category includes MWDWs working at employers houses. In his criticism of the above classification, Castro Abdallah, head of the National Federation of Trade Unions in Lebanon, said that while the concept in itself seems fair and customary in terms of stamped fees, it is rather racist in application. (Al Akhbar, June 24, 2016)

 

The Director General of the Federation of Arab Banks, Wissam Hassan Fattu7h, disclosed last Sunday that the remittances of the 24 million Arab migrant workers have reached some USD 49 billion in 2015. Egypt came first among Arab countries and seventh globally in terms of money transfers (USD 19.7 billion in 2015, representing nearly 40.4% of the overall transfer of funds from Arab migrant workers to their home countries. Lebanon for its part, came second with some USD 7.2 billion. According to Fattu7h, the phenomenon of risk aversion, coupled with the fall of oil prices and a slow economic growth in the Arab oil producing countries, have all led to a slight decline (3.3%) in the emigrant remittances to Lebanon in 2015, which is still better when compared to 2014 (8.4% of decline). To this effect, the Federation released a study on the overall transfer of funds by workers to and from the Arab region, targeting 11 Arab labor exporting countries in 2015, namely, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Palestine and Yemen. The study indicated the significance of migrants’ transfers as a vital element for the overall economic stability of labor exporting states. It pointed out that in 2015 these remittances represented 16% of the overall size of Lebanese economy (that is the GDP). As Safir, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, June 20, 2016

 

The Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayeb stressed last Friday that Lebanese farmers remain his priority, making clear that the recent decision to stop the import of vegetables and fruits from Syria is technical and not politically-motivated. Shehayeb was speaking during the opening of the ‘National Days of Olive Oil in Lebanon’ project at the National Library of Baaqleen, in the Shuf, in the presence of concerned public figures and local farmers. On the occasion, the president of the Federation of the Lebanese Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, head of the Chamber of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Mohammad Shucair, pledged that the federation will always support similar initiatives that aim to strengthen useful aspects of agriculture, strengthen the steadfastness of farmers to their land and increase olive oil exports around the world as the special trademark of Lebanon. Shucair warned that “in order to protect this trademark, we need to fight the marketing and promotion of similar counterfeit goods that enter the country under the label of Lebanese products.” This, Shucair maintained, can only be reached through the adoption of DNA tests to detect the true source of the olive oil, and hence uncover any attempt of fraud. For his part, Shehayeb warned that his ministry shall take preemptive action, to protect local farmers against illegal smuggling adding: “We meet here today to launch the National Days of Olive Oil hopeful of making it an annual festivity in honor of the blessed tree and its growers,” Shehayeb declared, announcing that the project will be extended to Baaqleen, the South, Akkar, Mount Lebanon, Baalbaq, Hermel and Nabatiyeh. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, June 18, 2016)

 

In collaboration with the General Consulate of Lebanon, the Lebanese American University LAU organized last Friday an event under the banner ‘Food and Identity: Let’s Celebrate the Lebanese Cuisine in New York City’. The ceremony which took place at the LAU Academic Center in Manhattan, aimed at introducing Lebanese cuisine to American food connoisseurs. It included a dialogue session on the possibility of building the national identity through the preservation of food heritage. It saw the participation of famous people in the field like, Manal Qai’I, Charlie Chehadeh, Mathew Jaber Stiver and Philippe Mass3ud who toured and tasted the assortment of delicacies prepared and showcased by well-known Lebanese eateries based in the US. In the end, the Lebanese Consul, Majdi Ramadan, said that during his many visits to Lebanese Americans ,he noticed that they shared the traditional gastronomy, even the new generations, who might have already lost their mother language. Ramadan hoped that the diverse Lebanese cuisine would soon become a popular product in the States.

Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, June 18, 2016

 

 

With every harvest season, the problem of marketing resurges, thus refueling the distress of wheat farmers. Farmers who have started gathering this season’s produce, are now highly concerned and uncertain how to dispose of them, especially that the government has not yet appointed the committees in charge of harvest collection, defining prices of handling and rent of the storage houses, as vividly expressed by the head of the Beqaa Farmers, Ibrahim Tarshishi. For that reason, wheat farmers have issued an ultimatum that ends in June 25, threatening the authorities of days of wrath and protests if they are left stranded. To recall, that a few hours from the resignation of the Economy Minister, Alan Hakim, a meeting was scheduled, but later cancelled, at the ministry to discuss the fate of this year’s harvest. In this respect, As Safir newspaper reflected the distress of the Beqaa farmers who fear a repeated scenario of uncertainty of the past few years. This is particularly so since, it should be noted, that the storage process, entails additional production costs linked to extra labor, the rent of warehouses, transport, loading and unloading services, which could result into great financial losses, the newspaper explained. (As Safir, June 17, 2016)

 

The Minister of Public Health, Wael Abu Faoor, announced yesterday during a joint press conference with his Agriculture counterpart, Akram Shehayeb that his ministry has detected some 45 pesticides including 9 carcinogenic types that contain a high level of toxicity which is harmful to pregnant women, and therefore could harm the fetus. He revealed that theses testing results originated from the technical committee which is currently made up of six agents for pesticide importers, and a fewer low-profile representatives of the health, agriculture and environment ministries. Abu Faoor underscored the need to reconsider the composition of the said committee, noting that pesticides dealers should not be part of it. He disclosed that an agreement was reached with minister Shehayeb to ban at once the entry to Lebanon of all pesticides registered outside Europe or the United States. “These toxins enter our bodies with the fruits and vegetables we consume, and then we wonder why the incidence rate of cancer in the country is increasing,” he explained. Abu Faoor warned that pesticides that were previously authorized but that were later proven to contain carcinogens will be removed from the markets during the course of one year (!?). For his part, Akram Shehayeb pointed out that “after the good pesticides enter Lebanon as agreed by the three concerned ministries, nobody or authority checks the farmers or suppliers for manipulating the usage and application of the said crop protection products.” To this effect, Shehayeb revealed, a joint committee has been formed to inspect the local agricultural production in order to ensure its compliance with internationally observed specifications. The same shall be applied on livestock production, poultry and meat as well, Shehayeb maintained. (As Safir, Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, June 16, 2016)

No major tangible information has emerged as to the economical effects of the recent unilateral decision by Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayeb banning the import of vegetables and fruits coming from Syria until next February, while the positions towards the protectionary measures are still somewhat divergent. Farmers in general, and particularly in the northern region of Akkar, are still suffering the weight of the unregulated inflow of foreign goods, notably potato and dairy products. In this respect, the head of the Syndicate of Vegetable Farmers in the North and Akkar, Khudr Meda, described Shehayeb’s decision as in the right direction since it will break the stagnation in local markets following the closure of most Arab and GCC export venues. In the Beqaa, Ibrahim Tarshishi, president of the Beqaa Farmers Union, praised the minister’s measure, a position which was coupled according As Safir daily newspaper with a sense of hidden satisfaction in the whole Beqaa area. Some farmers have already reported slight improvement in the prices of vegetables, mainly, tomato, cucumber and leafy veggies. But according to the same newspaper, this consent can also be temporary and linked to the continuous closure of the Syrian-Jordanian border crossing. On the other hand, the Syndicate of Agricultural Farmers in Lebanon said that the minister’s act is incomplete and does not resolve the problem of marketing, noting that local markets remain wide-open to commodities from across the globe. Similarly, the Minister of Finance Ali Hassan Khalil urged Shehayeb to reconsider his decision.

For his part, the Agriculture Minister has not backed down, and in fact, seemed more determined, during a press conference he held yesterday. Shehayeb accused the Customs Directorate of negligence and bribery, disclosing that “foreign goods can enter the illegal borders at a price of USD 200.” He stressed that new measure have to do with regulating the import export activities between Lebanon and neighboring Syria, with focus on stopping what he termed as organized smuggling. The above decision, Shehayeb explained, and the previous decision to control the import of dairy products, protect domestic production from the contemptable competition of agricultural imports, noting that this year’s production meets the needs of the domestic market with a surplus to the Gulf countries. However, he expounded that exports declined due to the land border blockage, which again urgently calls for measure to control the flow of smuggled goods.  (Al Diyar, Al Hayat, Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, As Safir, Al Akhbar, June 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 2016)

 

In its edition of today, An Nahar daily featured the revival of the soap making industry in the North after farmers failed to market this year’s production of olive oil. One olive farmer from Marh Kfarsghab, Zgharta, told the newspaper reporter that his village alone produces around 20 thousand barrels of olive oil and grieved that after years of production buildup, farmers resorted to the making of soap instead. The concentration of acid in stockpiled olive oil, he explained, increases every year, and all this, he added, is a result of the government’s slackness to protect domestic production. The farmer demanded the creation of new outlets to market the annual produce and put an end to smuggling and foreign competition. According to the Agricultural Center in Tripoli and Minyeh of the Ministry of Agriculture,  the total area of olive orchards in Lebanon is nearly 563 square km based on FAO 2010 figures. This figure is equivalent to 54% of the overall cultivated land and represents 8% of the country’s total surface area, with 41% of the olive tree grown areas located in the North. The number of olive growers in Lebanon exceeds 17 thousand farmers, An Nahar concluded. (An Nahar, June 15, 2016)

 

With the approaching touristic season and scheduled plans by the ministry to face the stagnation in the sector, An Nahar daily spoke to the minister of tourism, Michel Pharaon, who while boasting the successful rural tourism initiative launched two years ago by his ministry, pointed out to the new dimension offered by similar projects across the country which has to do with the provision of jobs for locals, especially women, in addition to reviving the development bustle in rural and remote areas. Pharaon also noted the high rate (100%) of occupancy at the various guest houses in Lebanon from the beginning of May until October. Pharaon also disclosed his ministry’s efforts to motivate the sustainable touristic trend of religious and cultural landmarks, alongside the tourism relying on the Diaspora. In this respect, Pharaon announced that he will invite travel agents from different countries that have Lebanese emigrants to design promotional packages catered exclusively to encourage expatriates to visit their homeland. Contrary to concerned people in the tourism sector, Pharaon seemed optimistic in anticipating a 15% rise in the sector, and proposed a so-called ‘Safe Summer’ slogan to encourage Arab Gulf tourists to visit the country and outlined a number of projects to be implemented to this effect. 

In the same vein, the USAID-funded Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development LIVCD program inaugurated last week a rock climbing and mountaineering site in Tanourine Tahta, Batroun area in the North, with the aim to boost rural economy through attracting tourists and creating jobs. The event was attended by minister Pharaon, mayors and concerned figures. Pharaon described the site as the biggest one in the country and a basic component in the national rural tourism strategy.

An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, June 13 and 14, 2016