Beirut: Under the patronage and presence of President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, the "Agriculture: The Pulse of Life" conference opened this morning at the Beirut Waterfront, attended by scores of Lebanese and Arab ministers and parliamentarians.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the conference also saw the attendance of prominent figures from the agricultural development sectors. President Aoun was received by Lebanon's Minister of Agriculture, Nizar Hani, and President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, Charles Arbid, upon his arrival at 10:00 a.m.
The event attracted several Lebanese and Arab officials, including Lebanon's Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh, Jordanian Minister of Agriculture Khaled Musa Al Henefat, Syrian Minister of Agriculture Amjad Badr, and the Palestinian Minister of Agriculture Rizq Salmiya. Other notable attendees included Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture Louis Lahoud, Head of the Agriculture and Tourism House Committee MP Ayoub Hmayyed, FAO Representative in Lebanon Veronica Quattrola, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East AbdulHakim Elwaer, and Resident Representative of the World Food Programme in Lebanon Matthew Hollingworth, alongside various scientific, educational, and agricultural experts.
In his speech, Charles Arbid, Head of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, emphasized the importance of agriculture and the challenges it faces in Lebanon and globally. He highlighted the significance of investing in the agricultural sector, particularly in supporting farmers and ensuring the sector's sustainability due to its crucial role in the life cycle.
Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani discussed the ministry's efforts to support farmers and outlined a work plan to protect and develop the agricultural sector in Lebanon. Other speeches at the conference addressed the challenges and risks facing agriculture in Lebanon and worldwide, stressing the need for solutions to ensure the sector remains a vital part of the earth's ecosystem.
Following the speeches, two sessions were held: the first focusing on investments and incentives for developing the agricultural sector in Lebanon, and the second on the development of sustainable agriculture and the future of food security.