Agriculture overload

Following more than two years of political inertia and stagnation, a spirit of optimism is gripping Lebanon after the election of a new president on October 31, 2016, and the imminent formation of a new national unity government. There are great expectations that this optimism will be translated into a more conducive environment for higher economic growth in 2017. While it is premature to predict the magnitude and sustainability of such growth, most analysts anticipate significant improvement compared to the sluggish growth witnessed during 2015 and 2016. As with other sectors, agriculture is expected to benefit positively from any improvement in the overall political and economic climate in Lebanon. If 2017 witnesses higher economic growth rates and improved per capita income, then consumers’ spending on food products would also increase. However, since Lebanon imports more than 80 percent of its food needs, the impact of higher economic growth on domestic