As we come to the end of 2019 and we look forward to welcome 2020, we would like to look back at the success our farmers’ market “Souk aal Souk” has accomplished in the last twelve months this year, and thank all our partners including farmers and producers for making it a year to remember. 2019 was among the busiest years for Souk aal Souk in the promotion of local food, exploring new partners and markets, and reaching out for more customers and local producers.
Quick overview of 2019
Souk aal Souk – Farmers Market was organized on a regular basis in Jeanne D’arc Street – Hamra, Beirut. Those events were the fruit of joined efforts between FHF, the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) and the Neighborhood Initiative (NI) at AUB. The souks gathered small-scale farmers, food producers, craftsmen and NGOs like “Recycle Lebanon”, “Food Blessed”, “Too Good to Waste”, and many others… The participants coming from different Lebanese rural and urban areas offered specialty products to their urban clients including a wide choice of traditional food, fresh fruits and vegetable and even handcrafts.
Souk aal Souk also visited Zero4 in Naccache region, on 3 different occasions during the summer of 2019. The Naccache neighborhood was delighted to support the local producers as much as it enjoyed their handmade traditional products.
The souk didn’t stop its wheels from moving around schools and universities including the American Community School (ACS), the International College (IC), the Grand Lycee Franco-Libanais and finally its home AUB at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and the Olayan Suleiman School of Business.
At the end of this year and under the pressure of the stressing economic situation in Lebanon, FHF teamed up with ESCWA Staff Council and organized a special Christmas Souk aal Souk in the UN House, Beirut in collaboration with ESDU. The event was very successful on many levels, and further collaborations are foreseen in 2020.
As the economic situation in the country is expected to burden the Lebanese communities, different initiatives aiming at supporting local production are being lead around the country. The small-scale producers and farmers in the rural areas particularly are considered among the most vulnerable groups who will greatly affected by the escalating pressures. As a New Year Resolution, it would the best time to think and act collectively, the time to support the Lebanese producers and to stand for local products. It is the time to work all together hand in hand to keep the wheel of the local economy rolling. With this being said, FHF continues to spread awareness on local food systems and looks forward to starting another successful year.