Increasing the collaboration between institutions

to improve access to agricultural services for women and men farmers in Akkar and Baalbeck-Hermel Governorates, Lebanon

To increase the collaboration among different Ministries and deliver more efficient services to women and men agricultural producers, two sensitization trainings were realized at the Social Services Center of Al Ain in Baalbeck- Hermel, on 3rd February 2020, and at the Regional Agricultural Services in Abdeh, Akkar, on 13th February 2020. The events were coordinated by the GEMAISA project team in collaboration with the Governorates’ Regional Agricultural Services, the Directorate of Cooperatives and the Ministry of Social Affairs, and benefited from the active participation of women and men producing dried vegetables and dairy – key economic activities in the two Governorates. The trainings were aimed at:
– Increasing the knowledge of men and women about the Ministry of Agriculture’s services and providing support for the registration process of cooperatives;
– Sharing detailed information about the role of the Directorate of Cooperatives and its services, with a focus on women’s-led cooperatives;
– Providing information on the social, health and education services offered by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The participants highlighted the importance of the training in increasing their knowledge and understanding of the services offered by the three institutions involved and of the type of support that these can provide to agricultural producers. It was also an occasion to enhance the collaboration among the three involved institutions in order to strengthen the impact of their combined services on local communities.