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Last Thursday, the Executive Secretariat of the International Olive Council (IOC) had the honour of welcoming H.E. Mr Nizar Hani, Minister of Agriculture of Lebanon. The Minister was accompanied by Ms Chantal Bassim, Chargé d’Affaires of the Lebanese Embassy in Madrid, and Mr Fady Ghanem, Consultant Assistant to the Minister.
During the meeting, Minister Hani presented Lebanon’s National Agriculture Strategy 2026–2035, which aims to drive the development of the country’s agricultural sector. He emphasised the central role of olive oil and table olives within this strategy and outlined Lebanon’s ambition to strengthen this key value chain.
To that end, the Minister formally requested the IOC’s support to develop a joint strategy that would enhance the olive sector in Lebanon. This collaboration would involve recognised IOC experts working closely with the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture to design and implement targeted actions.
The Executive Director of the IOC welcomed the Minister’s proposal and reaffirmed the Organisation’s full readiness to support this joint initiative. He also stressed the importance of official recognition of laboratories and sensory analysis panels in Lebanon, as a prerequisite for strengthening the sector in line with IOC standards.
Finally, the Executive Director took the opportunity to remind the Minister of the invitation extended to Lebanon to participate in the annual World Olive Day celebration, which this year will be held in Córdoba on 20 November 2025.
