From Orchard to Opportunity: A Rapid Market Analysis of the cherry value chain in Lebanon

This study was developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the BOUZOUR project - “Building Inclusive Markets and Decent Work for Syrian Refugees and Lebanese Host Communities”. The project focuses on the agriculture and agri-food sector, which are crucial for the livelihoods of both Lebanese and Syrian vulnerable populations, especially women from both communities. Its aim is to develop specific agricultural and agri-food value chains with the potential to create decent jobs benefiting both groups.

This Rapid Market Systems Analysis forms the foundation for the ILO’s intervention strategy to create and retain decent jobs for host communities and forcibly displaced persons in the sector. The ILO’s Approach to Inclusive Market Systems (AIMS), applied as the methodology for this analysis, foresees targeted interventions to increase economic opportunities and benefits for Lebanese farming households whilst also improving job prospects, working conditions and incomes for refugees in Lebanon’s cherry sector.