Ardi Ardak is a community-supported initiative aiming at revisiting the Food Security sector in Lebanon by supporting small-scale producers and farmers through a series of activities linking consumers to producers; providing small-scale producers access to knowledge, resources and the market, enhancing self-sufficiency of vulnerable households. It was launched in 2019 by the Environmnet and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU-AUB) in partnership with the Lebanese League for Women in Business (...

As part of ESDU's ongoing capacity building projects, ESDU has been promoting access to markets for small-scale producers and farmers. It has developed an inclusive marketing strategy tackling: creation of new market channels ensuring added value products ensuring quality control promoting green and honest production In partnership with the Food Heritage Foundation, ESDU has been promoting local communities' access to the market.

In contrast to a traditional research, a living lab is set in a real-life context acting as an open-innovation ecosystem with a user-centric approach for the aim of generating innovative solutions and sustainable value for all stakeholders including local communities. Living labs are a innovative way to structure research and support in promoting and upscaling an innovation through validation and testing in real-life contexts. ESDU is currently establishing a series of living labs across L...

An informative article by MainGate about ESDU’s CLIMAT project and Ardi Ardak National Food Security Initiative. Discover valuable insights from professor and director of ESDU Dr. Shady Hamadeh, M&E officer Sarah Karam, program investor and former President of LLWB Asma Zein, and Lebanese farmer Kassem El Chab. https://sites.aub.edu.lb/maingate/2020/08/06/climat/ 

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Known for its abundant tomatoes and delicious tomato paste, ESDU journeyed through Kherbet Qanafar’s beautiful landscape in West Bekaa to meet Mrs. Lina Haddad as part of "The Heritage Guardians" series which highlights local producers in the framework of the MedSnail project. Lina is a seasoned producer who has been making tomato paste for the past 13 years with her husband. Subtle and special, Lina’s tomato paste is worth a taste. video available on youtube: https:/...

ESDU in collaboration with Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB) and Food Heritage Foundation hosted a discussion session at Zico House about the Ardi Ardak initiative that aims at reviving food security sector by focusing on small scale holders with a special focus on women. The discussion highlighted the importance of fostering self-sufficiency in time of crisis, and discussed the Ardi Ardak initiative that will launch and consolidate the following community-supported activities:1) L...

Under the FAFS Lecture Series, Keepers of the Land by the Environment and sustainable Development Unit (ESDU): ESDU at FAFS, AUB hosted, Mrs. Gloria Abou Zeid, the director General of Cooperatives at the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) to present a lecture entitled: “The Role of Cooperatives towards Food Security”. Mrs. Abou Zeid focused on the role of cooperatives in reaching the four pillars of food security including; (1) Availability, (2) Accessibility, (3) Utilization and Safety,...

CLIMAT project was implemented in 2019 by the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in partnership with Cooperation without Borders (CWB). Women coopoeratives were targeted among other beneficiaries and benefited from capacity building and material support. The project was funded by the German Cooperation through the World Food Program.

Within WFP Lebanon Country Strategic Plan 2018-2020, and under WFP Program “Enhancing the livelihoods of Syrian Refugees and vulnerable Lebanese host communities through Food for Training (FFT)”, the “Climate-Smart Livelihoods Initiatives and Market Access Tailoring (CLIMAT)” is a one-year FFT project implemented in Northeast Baalbeck and West Bekaa. CLIMAT aims to sustainably improve the skills, capacities and livelihood opportunities of vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian re...

This project was launched in 2017 by a group of local residents, all of whom are volunteers, known as the “Badaro Urban Farmers” (BUF). The Badaro Farmers Market offers consumers the ability to directly purchase goods – such as mouneh, honey, fruits and vegetables, bread, wine, and handicrafts – from farmers and artisans who rely on the sales of the aforementioned products to live. It also promotes local farming in urban areas where every interaction will help achieve soc...

This presentation was presented by Ms. Marie Louise Hayek, FAO, during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

This presentation was presented by Dr. Shadi Hamadeh, from the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit - AUB, during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

This presentation was presented by Mr. Nadim Rawda, from the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit - AUB, during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

This presentation was presented by Ms. Phoebe Lewis, FAO Regional Office, during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

This presentation was presented by Ms. Mirna Atwe, from the Ministry of Agriculture, during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

This presentation was presented by Ms. Mabelle Chedid, from the Food Heritage Foundation, during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

This presentation was presented by Mr. Fadi Naffah, from Berytech, during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

This presentation was presented by Rural Delights (Atayeb Al Rif) Cooperative during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

This presentation was presented by Mr. Charbel Daher from Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD) Project during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

This presentation was presented by Dr. Kanj Hamadeh from the Lebanese University during the workshop on “Climate Smart, Innovative Food Preservation and processing Technologies Applied by Women in Rural Environments in the Near East and North Africa” organized by AUB in collaboration with FAO on June 26 and 27, 2018.

The Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) in AUB, in partnership with Economic and Social Fund for Development (ESFD), Arcenciel, Action Contre La Faim (ACF), and Cooperation without Borders (CWB), organized a one-day workshop on the 19th of January 2018 entitled “Youth in Rural Development”. This workshop witnessed the launching of a pilot rural development network “REEF”, Rural Empowerment &am...

The Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) in AUB, in partnership with Economic and Social Fund for Development (ESFD), Arcenciel, Action Contre La Faim (ACF), and Cooperation without Borders (CWB), organized a one-day workshop on the 19th of January 2018 entitled “Youth in Rural Development”. This workshop witnessed the launching of a pilot rural development network “REEF”, Rural Empowerment &am...

Food waste is one of the most prominent waste streams across Middle East, especially in GCC region.  The mushrooming of hotels, restaurants, fast-food joints and cafeterias in the Middle East region has resulted in the generation of huge quantities of food wastes. The proportion of food waste in municipal waste stream is gradually increasing and hence a proper food waste management strategy needs to be devised to ensure its eco-friendly and sustainable disposal in the Middle East. This art...

This case study, published by FAO, reveals how, with the support of FAO, The Plant Protection Department (PPD) of Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development promoted System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Vietnam as a set of five technical principles: 1) Use of healthy young seedlings, 2) Transplant of single seedlings, 3) Early weeding, 4) Water management and soil aeration soil and 5) Manure and compost application. As a result, farmers using SRI methods increased their ...

This case study offers some reflections on the actions of the Brazilian Semi-arid Articulation (Articulação Semiárido Brasileiro – ASA), through the P1MC and P1+2 programmes, which seek to interact with agro-ecological practices targeting food and nutrition security for thousands of families in the Brazilian semi-arid region. This case study shared from FAO demonstrates how agro-ecological practices targeting food and nutrition security affect the lives of families ...

In 2013, The Food Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit of the American University of Beirut, established "Souk aal Souk" farmer's market with a support from Waterfront City Cares. This market encourages small-scale farmers and producers by promoting their healthy fresh produce in urban settings. Hence, the market establishes direct contact between farmers and urban consumers, reflects local culture, and offers residents of t...

In 2013, a woman from Jordan started planting on the roof of her house to beautify the house and participate in environmental conservation. Profit was not her aim. She decided to distribute the surplus of her production to needy people.

Municipal support to the development of urban agriculture in Amman started in 2007, when the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) of the American University in Beirut, Lebanon supported by the RUAF Foundation (the international network of Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food security) conducted an exploratory study on urban agriculture in Amman. It was then followed by a project in cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality that enabled the establishment of a ...

ESDU is implementing a project entitled "Building Food and Economic Security for Syrian Refugees and Vulnerable Groups of Host Communities in Beirut Lebanon" - in collaboration with YMCA and with the support of the Near East Foundation (NEF)

As an attempt to empower people in Pelungo and increase their incomes, TRAX implemented a value chain development pilot project which aimed to promote the cultivation of the orange-fleshed sweet potato by smallholder farmers in Pelungu. Orange-fleshed sweet potato is characterized by many features that could aid farmers in facing the challenges that poverty and harsh-climate impose. Training courses and workshops were prepared for 50 farmers. Cultivating orange-fleshed sweet potato succeeded in ...

This project mainly aimed at promoting a shift to agroecological farming which involves rebuilding soil organic matter and protecting it from further depletion and endorsing productive diversity through intercropping and rotation. By adopting such approach, farmers attract pollinators to improve yields and restore the balance between pests and their natural predators. In addition to that, such diversity minimizes farmer dependence on costly inputs. Agro biodiversity provides nutritional diversit...

Palestinians in the West Bank have been facing serious challenges including restricted access to fertile land and important water resources due to the Israeli occupation. Agricultural production capacity has been damaged, Palestinian development has been severely undermined, and poverty and unemployment has increased. For these reasons, Oxfam and its partners have implemented the ‘From Grove to Market’ program. This program targeted Palestinian olive growers to help them improve thei...