Tending the Land, Supporting a Family: Aida's Story from Hermel

June 21, 2026

Before sunrise each morning, Aida Nasreddine walks through her olive grove in Hermel, checking her trees before returning home to prepare breakfast for her children and care for her elderly mother. As a widow, farmer, and sole provider for her family, every day begins with balancing responsibilities that extend far beyond the land she cultivates.

“When my husband passed away, everything became my responsibility,” she says. “The children, the house, my mother, and the land.”

A widow and small-scale farmer from Hermel, in Lebanon’s Baalbek-Hermel governorate, Aida is among many women who have found themselves carrying the weight of entire households as economic collapse and repeated hostilities continue to strain rural communities across Lebanon.

In Hermel, agriculture remains one of the few reliable sources of livelihood, with around 40 per cent of the population engaged in agricultural activities. But over the past two years, farming has become increasingly difficult. Rising production costs, labour shortages, disrupted transport routes and unstable markets have left many farmers struggling to sell their produce or recover the cost of an entire season’s work.

“Sometimes you work for months, and then because of transport or prices, you lose so much of what you produced,” Aida says. “It’s painful because all the effort is there.”

Like many farmers in the area, Aida continued working her land despite the uncertainty. Leaving was never an option.

Recently, she joined an agricultural support initiative implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding from the German Government through KfW Development Bank.

At a time when rising costs and market disruptions are placing increasing pressure on rural communities, the initiative aims to support farming households in sustaining their livelihoods and strengthening local food production. Through the initiative, 98 farmers in Hermel are receiving technical training and tailored agricultural support designed to improve productivity and build resilience for the seasons ahead.

Depending on their needs, farmers received different forms of assistance, ranging from livestock and agricultural equipment to technical guidance aimed at improving production and managing resources more efficiently.

Through the initiative, Aida received training in irrigation, pruning, pest management and harvest timing, along with in-kind assistance including a cow and a milking machine.

“The training taught me when to prune, when to spray and how to better manage water,” she says. “Now I feel more prepared for the coming seasons.”

The support comes at a time when many farming households are struggling not only to preserve their income, but also to remain on their land.

For Aida, one of the most immediate benefits has been the milking machine, which has reduced the physical strain of her daily work and helped her better balance farming with caregiving responsibilities.

“It saves me time and effort that I really need,” she says.

Beyond supporting individual farmers, the initiative is also designed to strengthen the wider local economy and support value-added agricultural production. In close coordination with the Union of Hermel Municipalities, UNDP is establishing an agro-food processing centre expected to serve at least 1,000 beneficiaries annually through agricultural support services, local processing opportunities and improved market access.

The facility is projected to reduce production costs for local farmers by 20 to 30 per cent, while helping reduce post-harvest losses and promoting more sustainable socio-economic development across the region.

In a region where agriculture remains one of the primary sources of income and a cornerstone of local food security, these efforts aim to strengthen food systems, improve farmers’ access to markets, increase agricultural productivity and support longer-term rural resilience amid continuing economic pressures.

“If I can grow this, I’ll give work to more people,” Aida says. “That’s how we rebuild together.”

As another farming season approaches, Aida continues working her land with renewed confidence. The challenges facing farmers in Hermel remain significant, but with new skills, equipment and support, she is determined to build a more secure future for her family and contribute to the prosperity of her community.