The Lebanese Minister of Agriculture, Al Hajj Hassan, meets APN
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APN| Beirut

30 June 2022

The Lebanese Minister of Agriculture in the caretaker government Mr. Abbas Al Hajj Hassan, met the chairwoman of the board of directors Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) and the Arab network for food sovereignty, Eng. Razan Zu`ayter, and the scientific consultant of the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty Eng. Hasan Al Jaajaa.

During the encounter there was a review of the development projects undertaken by the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) in the Arab homeland in order to network with regional countries.

Zuayter presented a synopsis of the accomplishments of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) in Palestine and Jordan, and of the new project in Lebanon, and about the awareness raising and activation program in international and regional forums in which APN participates to shed light on the importance of the idea of food sovereignty as a concept that is deeper than food security, which is a matter to which the Group and the Network referred to years ago. She referred, moreover, to the importance of calling for convening an Arab conference which addresses the subject of food sovereignty, particularly since our region has witnessed wars and conflicts where the world did not devote attention to the problem of food security, while it did during the Ukraine war when the matter entailed threats to only the First World, thereby manifesting a clear double standard.

Zuayter alluded to the Arab Tree Path, where the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) has made significant progress in initiating implementation. Actually, its preparation is underway under the umbrella of the Arab League, after meeting with approval in the final month of 2020, on the part of the subcommittee for the eradication of poverty in the Arab region affiliated to the Arab League. The Project looks forward to spread the successful experience of the programs of the APN the Million Tree Campaign-Palestine, and the Green Caravan- Jordan.

On his part, Al Hajj Hasan expressed his full readiness to reinforce genuine partnership with Arab civil society organizations, and to activate action through organizing an Arab conference for agricultural development in the coming autumn under the patronage of the League of Arab States and the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN).