Latest news with #NizarHani
MTV Lebanon
21-05-2025
- Business
- MTV Lebanon
President Joseph inaugurates "Agriculture, the Pulse of the Earth" conference
Under the patronage and presence of President of the Republic 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. The Conference was also attended by prominent figures and dignitaries from the agricultural development sectors. President Aoun arrived at the conference venue at 10:00 am, where he was received by Lebanon's Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani, and President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council Charles Arbid. Attending the conference had been a number of Lebanese and Arab officials, including Lebanon's Finance Minister Yassin Jaber and Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh, Jordanian Minister of Agriculture Khaled Musa Al Henefat, Syrian Minister of Agriculture Amjad Badr, and Palestinian Minister of Agriculture Rizq Salmiya. The Conference was also attended by the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture Louis Lahoud, the 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, Resident Representative of the World Food Programme in Lebanon Matthew Hollingworth, in addition to scientific and educational figures concerned with agriculture and its sustainability, as well as agricultural experts. In his delivered word, Economic, Head of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council Charles Arabid, emphasized "the importance of agriculture and the challenges it faces in Lebanon and the rest of the world, " highlighting the importance of investing in this sector, notably in assisting farmers and ensuring its sustainability, given its effective and essential role in securing the life cycle. Agricutlure Minister Nizar Hani delivered a speech in which he outlined the ministry's efforts to assist farmers and its work plan to protect and develop the country's agricultural sector. Other speeches were also delivered at the conference focusing on "the need to address the challenges and risks facing the agricultural sector in Lebanon and the world, and to find the necessary means to ensure that this sector remains the living pulse of the earth." Afterwards, two sessions were held, the first focusing on investments and incentives for developing the agricultural sector in Lebanon, and the second one focusing on the development of sustainable agriculture and the future of food security.
LBCI
21-05-2025
- Business
- LBCI
Lebanese President Aoun opens agricultural conference in Beirut, emphasizes sector's vital role
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun inaugurated the "Agriculture: Pulse of Life" conference on Wednesday at the Beirut Waterfront, in the presence of several Lebanese and Arab ministers, parliamentarians, and figures from the agricultural and development sectors. The event highlighted the growing challenges agriculture faces in Lebanon and across the globe, while emphasizing the need for investment, innovation, and sustainability. Charles Arbid, speaking at the opening, underscored the essential role agriculture plays in maintaining life cycles and supporting economies. He called for increased support for farmers and long-term strategies to ensure the sector's sustainability, noting the Economic and Social Council's efforts in this field. Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani presented the ministry's initiatives to support farmers and protect the agricultural sector in coordination with international partners. He emphasized the importance of adapting to new agricultural practices to meet rising demands and environmental concerns. Short films were screened under the theme "Agriculture: Pulse of the Earth," setting the tone for the conference's message about the urgent need to preserve and develop agriculture. Speakers stressed the need to address the risks and challenges threatening agriculture globally, particularly in Lebanon, and to ensure it remains a vital force for life and biodiversity. Two key sessions followed the opening ceremony. The first focused on agricultural investment and incentive strategies in Lebanon, while the second addressed sustainable agriculture and the future of food security.
L'Orient-Le Jour
17-05-2025
- Climate
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Fires in several regions of Lebanon
Multiple fires broke out on Saturday in several Lebanese regions, fueled by a heat wave. In South Lebanon, our correspondent reports several outbreaks, notably in the regions of Majdelzoun, Azzieh, Tayr Harfa, and in the area of Alma al-Shaab (Sour district.) A blaze in the region of Zrarieh, also in Sour, has been ongoing for several hours. These natural fires are adding to a list of Israeli strikes and a constant overflight by the aviation of the Hebrew state. Another major fire broke out in a forest in the village of Deir Dourit, in Chouf (Mount Lebanon), where flames dangerously approached houses, according to the National News Agency (NNA). Civil Defense intervention contained the fire, which had previously destroyed agricultural areas. Another fire broke out near the headquarters of the Sunni Sharia court in Beirut, in the Tarik el-Jdideh neighborhood, according to the NNA. Firefighters worked to extinguish it. A significant fire also broke out in forested areas on the outskirts of the locality of Rahbeh, in the Jouma-Akkar region, in North Lebanon. Civil Defense teams supported by the Lebanese army intervened to try to control the fire before it spread, as temperatures exceeded 35 degrees at noon in the region. A car caught fire on the road to Bhamdoun, in the caza of Aley, our correspondent reports. This incident contributed to increased traffic on this road leading to Bekaa, on the eve of municipal elections in this region. 72 Civil Defense missions Civil Defense published a statement in the evening specifying that its teams carried out a total of 72 fire-fighting missions during this hot and windy day, ideal conditions for fueling the flames. Among these missions were 63 fires in dry grasslands and woods, two houses, two stores, two cars, two generators, one fire in a residential building, and another in several tents. The fires broke out in regions as diverse as Kfarmatta, Baadarane, Bhamdoun, Baissour, Deir Dourit, Aramoun, Baakline, Dahr el-Wahch, Mansourieh, Beirut, Jbeil, Batroun, Akkar... In Bekaa, firefighters extinguished a fire that ravaged significant areas in the state lands of Niha. The Civil Defense also indicated it intervened in the Nabatieh region to fight fires caused by Israeli phosphorus bombs in the woods of Markaba, Houla, and Tallousseh. The fire destroyed a depot in the village of Aita al-Shaab. The agency also specified battling several blazes in many sectors in South Lebanon, notably in the Sour district. Civil Defense urged residents to follow directives and avoid unintentional fire outbreaks, especially when weather conditions are so conducive to the spread of flames. The statement reminds readers of the emergency numbers: 125 or via WhatsApp 70-192693. About a week ago, the international environmental defense association Greenpeace sounded the alarm on the effects of climate change in Lebanon, given the recent fires in the past week. In this regard, Lebanese Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani reminded that a state of emergency has been declared in the forestry sector to prevent catastrophes this year.
LBCI
10-05-2025
- Business
- LBCI
Could cannabis save Lebanon? Debate reignites amid economic crisis
Report by Theresia Rahme, English Adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian In 2020, Hezbollah rejected a draft law to legalize cannabis, arguing that it offered no real economic benefit, contrary to popular belief, or that the frameworks the government intended to adopt were unclear and poorly defined on the ground. In the group's view, this posed a risk of young Lebanese turning to unregulated and potentially harmful exploitation of the sector. Hezbollah lawmakers continue to hold this position. Some observers, however, suggest that Hezbollah's opposition may be tied to concerns over potential social and economic changes that could lessen public dependence on the group and other political actors. If cannabis cultivation were legalized and properly regulated, Lebanon could generate between $1 billion and $3 billion annually in state revenue, according to Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani. That would amount to roughly one-quarter to one-half of the state's projected revenue for 2024. In that case, cannabis could become a major source of income, more effective than other alternatives that often result in higher taxes and fees for citizens without tangible returns. With Lebanon facing a severe economic crisis, dwindling aid, and vanishing foreign investment, generating income from cannabis cultivation is no longer just a policy option—it is increasingly viewed as an economic necessity. The cannabis issue has reemerged on the national agenda, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressing it again after it stalled in 2020. That year, Parliament passed a law legalizing cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial purposes. However, as is often the case, the law was left incomplete due to the cabinet's lack of implementing decrees to establish a regulatory authority. If, as reports suggest, cannabis legalization in Lebanon is drawing near, this development could open the door to benefits for all—from the state, which would increase its revenues, to farmers and industrialists, and to social groups who would gain a legal alternative to illicit crop cultivation that offers them greater stability.
LBCI
07-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Lebanon's Agriculture Minister, UNIFIL chief agree on mechanism to allow farmers access to border lands
Lebanon's Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani met with the head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Aroldo Lázaro, to discuss ways to facilitate farmers' access to border villages so they can tend to their agricultural lands. Following contacts made by the UNIFIL commander, the Ministry received formal approval for the initiative, which will be implemented through a coordinated mechanism involving UNIFIL, the Lebanese Army, and the Ministry of Agriculture. The plan aims to safeguard the rights and security of farmers while reinforcing their resilience on their land. The Ministry of Agriculture has called on farmers who own land in restricted areas to contact the heads of regional offices to begin the necessary procedures for accessing their property.
