Rural women feed the world

The members of the “Cooperative association for marketing the products of the cooperatives and rural women associations”(Namlieh), represented rural women in Lebanon at the the Vth World Congress of Agronomists and Agrologists which will be held between September 17th to September 21st at the Quebec City Convention Centre in Quebec – Canada and with the participation of 800 representatives from 30 countries under the slogan “Feeding the World”.
 
A reminder that Namlyeh is a marketing cooperative for traditional and health food products manufactured by rural women cooperatives and rural women groups. The Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action had contributed to setting it up in 2012.  It currently includes nine organisations on its Board and is committed to marketing the products of 40 rural women cooperatives and groups.
 
The Namlyeh delegation that took part in this event included the following:
 
- Nathalie Chemaly: Program Coordinator and Policy Officer in Women Economic Empowerment Programme- Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action (CRTD.A)
- Oumayya Raydan Al Kadi from "Ain El Louz cooperative" - Ain Ata (Rashaya Al Wadi)
- Hala Ghalmouch from "Zawadat Al Day3a cooperative" - Aran Salim (Nabatieh)
 
In the Namlieh booth, the members of the Namlieh delegation exhibited several natural and traditional products including thyme, sage, molasses, almonds, pine kernels, jam, orange blossom water, grilled wheat, wild orange syrup, date-filled wafers and other products which were very much appreciated by Arab and international visitors who tasted and enjoyed these homemade foods.  It is important to note that all of the Namlyeh products which were exhibited at the event went through international lab testing by the Ministry of Public Health so as to ensure that they meet international safety and health standards of both Lebanon and Canada.
 
After the end of the exhibition which lasted two days, the group went on a number of exploratory field visits including:
·        A visit to the cooperatives of maple syrup producers where they were exposed to ways of working including quality checks and packaging;
·        Atoka wild berries farm, where they were exposed to ways of working as well as marketing;
·        The University of Laval where they experienced the ways in which the university collaborated with farmers and producers through research and improving production.
 
The visit organizer, Oxfam-Quebec, also coordinated visits to other organisations in order to facilitate exchange of knowledge and experience.  These included visits to:
·        Oxfam Quebec headquarters;
·        “Jeune Emploi”, an institution working on social integration through employment;
·        “Compagnie F”, a micro-credit organisation.
The Lebanese delegation was also able to take part in two other exhibitions, the first in Ottawa and the second in Jean Talon street with the aim of introducing the public to local Lebanese food products.