Evaluating farmer priorities and readiness to adopt new water, energy, and agricultural solutions in Lebanon

FAO

Evaluating farmer priorities and readiness to adopt new water, energy, and agricultural solutions in Lebanon

Year of publication 2021

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 2p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Policy brief

Edition 1

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) Evaluating farmer priorities and readiness to adopt new water, energy, and agricultural solutions in Lebanon: The survey highlights the interconnections between farmers’ decisions on their lands with different resource systems including energy, water, health and the economy. It is important to develop incentives that are consistent with farmers’ preferences and willingness to shift to different practices on their farms. Farmers are most likely to shift to alternative energy sources, followed by growing different crops, then using alternative irrigations sources. Improving profits and saving water and energy are the top reasons indicated by farmers for making shifts in their practices. As Lebanon faces compound challenges including a pandemic, economic, financial and political failure, a looming food security crisis is rapidly approaching. Much of this crisis could be attributed to the lack of long-term planning and investment in the sustainability of the agricultural sector. Another challenge lies in the existing disconnect between decision making between the agricultural sector, and other interconnected sectors, including water, energy, health, economy, among others. This is exacerbated by the lack of integrative national tools that allow for quantifying the trade-offs associated with possible plans and interventions, which could play a role in facilitating a dialogue between multiple sectors and stakeholder groups. Supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences at the American University of Beirut has worked toward evaluating stakeholder perceptions toward existing resource challenges and willingness to implement proposed interventions at the farm scale.

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2021. Evaluating farmer priorities and readiness to adopt new water, energy, and agricultural solutions in Lebanon. Policy brief. Rome.

Language English

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