NNA - Ministry of Agriculture’s Director-General Louis Lahoud, representing Caretaker Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan, participated in the meetings of the world's ministers of agriculture in Berlin - Germany, within the framework of the 15th World Forum for Food and Agriculture and the International Green Week for the year 2023, in the presence of 83 ministers of agriculture from around the world and general managers of international organizations.

Lahoud headed Lebanon’s delegation that included the economic attaché at the Lebanese Embassy in Germany, Abdo Medlej, and the advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, Salem Darwish.

Discussions during the ministerial meeting at the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin touched on the conditions of the agricultural sector, food and food security, combating hunger in the countries of the world, food systems that are resistant to crises, climate and biodiversity-friendly, and improving cooperation between countries for global food sustainability.

Lahoud conveyed to the attendees the greetings of the Minister of Agriculture, and presented the conditions of the agricultural sector in Lebanon and the repercussions of displacement on agriculture and food security in Lebanon, as well as the repercussions of the economic crisis on farmers, the rise in energy prices, and agricultural production requirements such as medicines, veterinary vaccines, fertilizers, seeds, and fodder materials.

He also presented the projects carried out by the Lebanese Agriculture Ministry, especially in the field of plants and animals, agricultural processing and forest wealth.

In this context, Lahoud appealed to world ministers of agriculture and general directors of international organizations to embrace the agricultural sector in Lebanon, support agricultural infrastructure, programs and projects, and open markets to Lebanese agricultural products, in order to help farmers remain steadfast and introduce hard currency into the sector.

========R.Sh.