Production of agricultural inputs is growing on the local market driven by the crisis and an increasing interest in health and environmental issues as well as in food security. Manufacture of composts and bio-fertilizers is advancing while making bio-pesticides is still limited but could be promising. Most of those involved in seed breeding are seeking to safeguard traditional peasant varieties before they go extinct while producing hybrid seeds locally is technically feasible but is still a missed opportunity.
Initiatives to safeguard heirloom seeds
Open-pollination, cross-pollination, and production of genetically modified seeds are the categories of seed breeding. Only the first category, which includes traditional heirloom seeds preserved by peasants over the centuries, is produced in Lebanon. Cross-pollination (breeding hybrid seeds) though technically possible, is still nonexistent due to the lack of legislation to protect intellectual property rights. Buzuruna Juzuruna (BJ), an NGO located in Saadnayel in the Bekaa, is mainly involved in the production of peasant (heirloom) seeds and in spreading awareness among farmers about their importance. It breeds seeds for legumes, vegetables, and cereals of the Levant and the Mediterranean regions. , Sales Coordinator at BJ said: “We sell our
