Cooperative sector in Lebanon: between a bleak reality and shining examples || Newspapers (Arabic)

On the occasion of the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives, media attention has lately focused on the situation of the cooperative sector in Lebanon. In that context, Assafir newspaper published last Saturday two articles covering this sector. The first pointed out to the challenges facing that sector mainly in the Beqaa, where promises that had arisen as a result of the setting up of the cooperatives were not fulfilled, whereas the second article focused on the reality of cooperatives in Nabatieh area, highlighting some other challenges but also success stories.

The first report stated that a large number of cooperatives were established only to attract donations of international donors and national organizations. The President of the Cooperative Union in Lebanon, Dr. Rida Al-Mayss, told “Assafir”, that hundreds of cooperatives that were formally established during the past years largely failed in implementing any development project let alone to set up a permanent structure. Dr. Al-Mayss praised the recent decisions of Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan, to revoke the registration of hundreds of inactive cooperatives and to provide financial aid to the active ones.

The second article also focused on the harsh reality facing the cooperatives in Nabatieh, pointing out to major challenges such the absence of cooperation culture, obsolete cooperative  laws and regulations, lack of markets, absence of support and the unavailability of bank loans with low interest rates.
Yet and despite all these difficulties, the article identified a number of active cooperatives such as the Arab Saleem food processing women cooperative. This rural women cooperative was established to support women of low income, to increase their productive capacities and to achieve women empowerment. This cooperative produces a wide range of products such as jams, pickles, thyme, olives, distillates, and have received support from several national and international organizations, such as YMCA, UNDP and CRTD.A (with funding from CIDA). CRTDA is currently providing support in the form of capcity building and in-kind assistance.  The cooperative is also member of the recently-established union of marketing cooperative, named “Namlieh” which is located in Beirut.

Source: Assafir - Assafir 20 October 2012