URBAN AGRICULTURE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The American University of Beirut's Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, through its Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU), was the implementer for a Training Course on Urban Agriculture (UA) in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region. The course was built upon earlier experience of regional courses supported by the Cities Feeding People Initiative of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC-CFP), in Francophone Africa, Latin America and Anglophone Africa, in 1998, 2001 and 2004 respectively. UA is a relatively new area of knowledge and IDRC-CFP has been an innovator in supporting both research and learning on it, starting in the 1980s. It works with a variety of institutional partners to develop knowledge, exploring the various dimensions of UA and promoting awareness of and action on it at international, regional, and municipal levels. ESDU has extensive regional experience in training, and has been involved for years in research and publishing on UA.

The course is at the core of a broader two-year project on Regional Training and Knowledge Sharing in Urban Agriculture for the Middle East and North Africa. It is expected that the course and post-course activities will have many outcomes, in conjunction with other initiatives in the region that would be initiated by other institutions, some in partnership with IDRC. The proposals developed and the participation of city officials may influence ongoing programs and be picked up as part of related programs and projects.

 

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