The Rene Moawad Foundation has organized in collaboration with the International Labor Organization a workshop on potato production in Lebanon. The workshop is part of the foundation’s economic development program, which aims to empower farmers in rural areas in north Lebanon and bolster Lebanese exports to European markets.

The workshop was held under the patronage of Dutch Ambassador to Lebanon Hester Somsen with the participation of former Social Affairs Minister Nayla Moawad, head of the agriculture research department Michel Issa Khoury, ILO officials and a number of farmers.

Speaking on behalf of ILO Regional Deputy Director Frank Hagman, Anabel Scott stressed the importance of collaboration among local and international organizations in bolstering the competitiveness of Lebanese products.

The workshop featured a documentary on potato production in a bid to familiarize farmers with the international standards in terms of production and packaging of products destined for export to EU markets.

Lebanon’s agricultural sector is in need of support, Moawad said, urging farmers to cooperate to boost production and improve the competitiveness of their products.

“At the Rene Moawad Foundation, we aim to support the agriculture sector, which represent a source of revenue for nearly 40% of Lebanese. Thus, we seek to empower farmers to produce the best quality products at the lowest possible cost,” Moawad said.

Improving quality and increasing production requires building partnerships between farmers and food manufacturing companies, said Somsen, the Dutch Ambassador to Lebanon. The Netherlands ranks as the second largest potato exporters worldwide.