NNA - Across Lebanon, cooperatives and producer organizations support farmers, fishers, women, men and youth entrepreneurs and rural communities overcome economic challenges, improve livelihoods and strengthen resilience. By working collectively, they facilitate access to markets, services and productive resources, provide a voice in decision making, while strengthening social cohesion and local development.
Celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July, the International Day of Cooperatives will take place on 4 July 2026, globally under the theme "Cooperatives for a Peaceful World!". On this day, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) highlights the vital role that cooperatives and producer organisations play in achieving food security, supporting rural, coastal, and fisheries-dependent communities' livelihoods and strengthening the resilience of Lebanon's agrifood systems.
At a time when rural communities continue to face the combined impacts of conflict, economic instability, climate-related challenges and rising production costs, collective action enables small-scale producers to reduce risks, improve productivity and seize new economic opportunities that would often fall beyond the reach of individuals acting alone.
"Cooperatives are powerful organizations that offer practical solutions built on solidarity, trust and shared responsibility," said Nora Ourabah Haddad, FAO Representative in Lebanon. "When farmers, fishers and economic actors work together, they are better equipped to manage risks, realize economies of scale, increase their bargaining power, access markets and invest in their future. FAO's support goes beyond training and equipment. It is about building strong and sustainable rural institutions that continue delivering services to their members, creating opportunities and strengthening local economies for years to come."
A flagship example of FAO's commitment to cooperative development is its partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and the General Directorate of Cooperatives, supported by the Government of Canada. Between 2019 and 2024, the programme strengthened more than 250 women-led groups across the country. A total of 265 groups received technical and business development training, while 143 groups were equipped with productive assets that enabled them to expand collective food processing activities, improve product quality and generate income.
The programme also strengthened the institutional capacities of the General Directorate of Cooperatives, enhancing its ability to support, monitor and coordinate cooperative development nationwide.
With funds from the government of Canada, FAO supported the General Directorate of Cooperatives by strengthening its Management Information System, which hosts sex-disaggregated data from cooperatives for improved analysis, management and coordination.
"In a world often divided, cooperatives remind us that true strength lies not in competition but in joining efforts. Through solidarity, trust and cooperative values we build a better world" said Gloria Abouzeid, Director-General of Cooperatives at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Building on these achievements and on the impact of the achieved results of the Canada-funded project, FAO continues to promote farmers' collective action across Lebanon's agrifood systems. FAO is advancing an integrated and programmatic approach to collective action to drive inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems transformation in Lebanon. This approach is structured around three core pillars: strengthening institutions and dialogue platforms; promoting climate-smart agriculture; and enhancing governance, management, and rural finance capacities. By embedding collective action across its programme portfolio, FAO Lebanon strengthens alignment between policy support and field-level interventions, enabling scalable and lasting impact.
In addition, through cooperatives, producer organisations and other community-based organisations, FAO contributes to empowering rural communities to strengthen governance, increase women's and youth participation, enhance access to services and markets, and build resilience to climate-related and economic shocks.
In the water sector, funded by the Swiss Government, FAO supports Water User Associations to improve the equitable and sustainable management of scarce water resources. In fisheries, funded by Norway, FAO works with fisheries cooperatives to strengthen governance, business management and service delivery, contributing to more sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities. Similar approaches are being expanded through livestock programmes, where producer organizations help small-scale producers improve productivity, meet quality standards and better access markets, under projects funded by the World Bank and the European Union.
Strong and inclusive cooperatives are essential partners in building resilient, sustainable and competitive agrifood systems. By fostering democratic participation, strengthening local economies and creating opportunities for rural women and men alike, they contribute not only to food security and economic development, but also to building peace and cohesion within rural communities.
On this International Day of Cooperatives, FAO reaffirms its commitment to working alongside the Ministry of Agriculture, the General Directorate of Cooperatives and development partners to strengthen collective action as a driver of food security, rural prosperity, sustainable development and resilient agrifood systems across Lebanon.
