MESO Level
The Productive Sector Development Programme (PSDP) focuses on enhancing the access of local products to existing and new external markets as a means to help overcome the current financial challenges facing MSMEs and cooperatives in the agriculture and agri-food sectors in Lebanon.
In collaboration with the Government of Lebanon and relevant stakeholders, UNIDO and UNDP are working on providing institutional support and capacity building to national government entities involved in trade and are providing them with the needed tools to support MSMEs in their export journey.
The two UN agencies also developed an online Export Academy that focuses on MSMEs export readiness and support them in accessing directly international markets.
This Meso-level component of the PSDP includes working directly with Lebanese exporters to help them meet quality standards, integrate product innovation and marketing, and get the product ready for new overseas markets.
In this realm, UNIDO and UNDP are supporting the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) in developing the export promotion platform that aims to promote Lebanese capabilities to reach international buyers, with focus on women entrepreneurs. The platform also supports Lebanese exporters in understanding export opportunities and trends in key markets through detailed export guides.
Visit the platform here: www.lebanonexports.gov.lb
What has been done so far under the PSDP's Meso component?
UNDP supports the Ministry of Agriculture in developing a portal that facilitates access to quality food regulations and standards
In order to better support SMEs understand local food safety standards and regulations that they need to abide by to access local and international markets, UNDP is providing technical assistance to the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture to develop a new portal on food safety regulations issued by the Ministry. The website is user-friendly allowing companies to check regulations by product and type of regulations (whether related to the processing, packaging, or import/export). The platform can be accessed here: www.regulations.agriculture.gov.lb
UNIDO supports the Ministry of Industry in developing pre-feasibility studies for products with high-export potential
UNIDO is providing support to the Ministry of Industry in the development of pre-feasibility studies for 6 products with high export potential, namely Pickles, Fresh Juices, Mouneh, Healthy Bars and Snacks, Chocolate, Dried Fruits and Vegetables. These reports provide technical and economic insights on the different industries, with the aim of assisting local producers in positioning their products in the local market as well as accessing quality requirements for domestic and international markets. The reports are accessible here.
UNIDO and UNDP in partnership with Berytech launched the first Lebanon Export Training Center and Online Academy
UNIDO and UNDP launched, in partnership with Berytech, the first online Export Academy in Lebanon- the first-of-its-kind academy to equip Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives in Lebanon with the needed know-how to scale up their operations and increase their readiness to export.
The academy offers in-person and online classes along with self-paced courses on various topics related to export readiness, including on (1) how to write an export plan, (2) conduct market research, (3) understand export documentation and legal requirements, (4) set export prices, and (5) find suitable financing options, among other topics.
In the first phase, at least 70 MSMEs and cooperatives from the agri-food and agriculture sectors will benefit from the training, 40 of which will be women-led businesses. Courses are designed in an accessible way for a variety of audiences from different academic and professional levels, targeting both early-stage as well as established exporters. Learn more about the academy on this link: https://berytech.org/programs/lebanon-export-academy/
Watch Ruba Fayyad, Sales & Marketing Manager of L'Arome Delights, who graduated from the first cohort of the Lebanon Export Academy, and learn straight from her how she was able to apply the acquired knowledge, put into practice export techniques, and build new partnerships.
Maha Raha, founder of ‘Spreadly’, is another graduate from the 1st cohort of the Export Academy, who was able to kick-off her first export plan to export her products to France and the Netherlands, using the knowledge & skills acquired from the Academy.
UNIDO and UNDP support the Ministry of Economy and Trade in developing a national LEBTRADE Platform
The Ministry of Economy and Trade in Lebanon is working on the development of a market intelligence platform called “LEBTRADE” that aims to provide Lebanese exporters in the agriculture sector with detailed information on quality requirements needed to export key products to specific markets. UNIDO and UNDP are providing the Ministry with the technical assistance needed to enrich the platform and expand its scope so as to include market reports for specific agri-food products identified as high potential export products (e.g. olive oil, wine, pickles, and sauces). Both UN entities supported the ministry in developing a comprehensive Export Guide that explains to any company/entrepreneur all the steps for a successful export journey.
Learn more about this MESO-Level component of the Productive Sectors Development Program in this brochure.