Towards Climate-Resilient Food Systems in Lebanon

The Issue

Lebanon’s ongoing economic and environmental crises have left small farmers struggling to survive. With 42% of the population facing food insecurity, rising production costs, and limited access to agricultural inputs, many families are unable to produce enough safe, nutritious food.

Farmers, including those from refugee and host communities, are also increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Hotter temperatures, erratic rainfall, droughts, and floods are destroying crops and reducing productivity. These pressures threaten not only farmers’ livelihoods but also the country’s broader food systems and market stability. Without sustainable, climate-resilient solutions, Lebanon’s agricultural sector risks further decline, deepening the country’s food crisis.

The Project

DanChurchAid (DCA) had led a global learning project called “MCP NNF De-Risking Agroecology” to test practical ways of making sustainable farming both safer and more viable in crisis-affected settings. In Lebanon, DCA partnered with AgriMovement, a grassroots organization promoting agroecology and biodiversity conservation.

The project studied how local food systems can transition toward agroecology; farming that works with nature rather than against it, while protecting farmers’ livelihoods from climate-related risks. It gathered evidence, identified good practices, and tested innovative models to help farmers adapt to challenges such as unpredictable weather, market disruptions, and limited resources. Insights from Lebanon and two other participating countries has feed into DCA’s global humanitarian programming, helping shape more sustainable and resilient food and market systems worldwide.

Agroecology is a climate-friendly way to build sustainability and resilience as well as increasing food production. Agroecology is a set of principles that help strengthen the links between development and humanitarian activities by promoting diversity, reducing risks and engaging farmers and other producers in knowledge sharing and political decision-making. DCA works to help communities make informed choices and sustainable decisions about production methods.

The Change

The project aimed to make sustainable farming possible even in fragile and crisis-affected environments. By documenting lessons, testing models, and building local capacity, it helped farmers in Lebanon, Kenya and Nepal to reduce risks, maintain income, and protect food supplies during climate shocks. Over time, these learnings will guide DCA and its partners in supporting climate-resilient agriculture that improves food security and empowers communities to become more self-reliant.

The project also strengthened collaboration between global experts and local actors, ensuring that successful approaches can be replicated and scaled up in other humanitarian contexts.

The Results

This project supported farmers’ transition toward agroecological farming practices, moving away from conventional, pesticide-dependent agriculture toward healthier and more environmentally sustainable approaches. The project tested agroecological methods in real farming conditions to identify challenges, document lessons learned, and assess practices with potential for replication and scale-up.

Through targeted trainings, field accompaniment, and peer learning, farmers strengthened their understanding of soil health, natural pest management, crop diversification, and reduced reliance on external chemical inputs. As a result, participating farmers demonstrated increased awareness of the environmental and health risks associated with chemical farming and began adopting agroecological practices on their plots.

Several farmers reported reduced costs, improved soil quality, and greater resilience to climate and market shocks. The project generated valuable evidence on transition pathways and farmer behaviour change, which was documented and shared as part of a multi-country learning initiative implemented in Lebanon, Kenya, and Nepal. Findings contributed to broader learning on agroecology systems transformation and informed future program design and scaling strategies

The Partner

AgriMovement – An emerging Lebanese organization working to promote sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods. As a grassroots movement in Lebanon AgriMovement’s work is dedicated to food sovereignty and biodiversity.

AgriMovement promotes agroecology, manages community-based agricultural projects, and trains farmers in sustainable practices such as heirloom seed preservation, organic production, and ecological pest control. Together, DCA and AgriMovement are working to identify real-world solutions for sustainable, climate-smart farming that protects both people and the planet.