Empowering Communities through Capacity Building and Creation of New Job Opportunities within the Agri-Food Sector (ECO)
The Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the American University of Beirut (AUB), in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) are implementing the project “ECO” Empowering Communities through Capacity Building and Creation of New Job Opportunities within the Agri-Food Sector.
This project is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA)
ECO is a five-month project (January 2023 – May 2023) targeting three outcomes:
- Enhanced adoption of innovation and technology
- Increased access to employment/income for producers
- Overarching project monitoring / enhanced scalability of impact
ECO will be implemented in Beirut and Mount Lebanon Governorates with the objective of promoting the resilience of vulnerable communities by fostering food security and creating income-generating activities.
Target population: The vulnerable host population and the Syrian/Palestinian refugees in Lebanon with strong emphasis on youth and women.
The main project activities include:
Phase 1- Mapping of relevant projects engaged in agri-food industry.
- A circular economy assessment is conducted at The Good Food Hub to integrate the circular economy into any agri-food projects, setting an upgrading plan for the Good Food Hub.
Phase 2- Reaching out to 50 participants (Lebanese and Refugees) based on clear selection criteria, to be trained on agri-food production in Beirut. Out of these 50, 25 participants will be chosen (via a competitive call) to participate in the "Train them to Hire them" program. The program will provide them with coaching sessions that will qualify them for job candidacy.
Phase 3- Job creation for the 25 participants was made possible through a collaboration with Vacancy SAL, a renowned company specializing in training and hiring within the hospitality and food industry. This collaboration will enable us to secure the participation of esteemed establishments across the country, such as Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Coral Beach Hotel, Younis Group, Maroun Chedid Sal, Joe Barza Consultancy, Burgeria Restaurants, FTC Group, Food and Design Catering Company, Fork Hospitality Consultancy, and Fritzkot Lebanon Sal joined forces at the job fair, seeking the perfect match between candidates and available positions.
Brief about NRCThe Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an international humanitarian, non-governmental organization present in Lebanon since 2006, aiming to support the host community and people affected by displacement living in Lebanon and advocate for their rights inside the country, regionally, and internationally. NRC is supporting Syrian and Palestinian refugees, vulnerable Lebanese, and migrants through multiple programs such as Education, Youth, Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA), Water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH), Shelter and Livelihoods & food Security. NRC has a country office in Beirut and operates through four Area Offices in BML, North, Bekaa, and South.