International projects supporting Lebanese olive oil

L’Orient Le Jour said that despite the multiple projects sustaining the olive oil sector in the country, local producers still face challenges in competing in international markets. The newspaper cited a one million euro agreement signed earlier this month with the Italian government to enhance the quality of olive oil through improving production techniques and as a result increase prospects of export. The newspaper also mentioned the USD 2 million Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD) project since 2013 funded by USAID. The project focused mainly on the rehabilitation of electronic presses and the distribution of olive harvest machines to some 55 agricultural cooperatives which helped in curtailing the cost of production. However, only 3,000 out of 100 thousand farmers benefited from the project, according to L’Orient Le Jour. Other projects included, a UNDP program kicked off last year through which 55 thousand olive harvesting equipment were distributed; a project in the making by Mercy Corps Lebanon to support olive farmers; a program launched last year by ACTED with a USD 700 thousand backing from EU to help olive oil and honey producing coops and, a French Development Agency (AFD) funded Daman 2 project from 2016-2018. For reference, Lebanon exports around 18% of its olive oil to the United States that boasts a large Lebanese expat community, and to the GCC states, with exports reaching 10 thousand tons in 2016 (at USD 30 million). (L’Orient Le Jour, August 21, 2017)

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