ACDI/VOCA is implementing a $4,725,405 million, 3.2 year project called the Lebanon Business Linkages Initiative (LBLI), funded by USAID under the FIELD Leader with Associates program. The LBLI project addresses economic growth and poverty reduction by working directly with the private sector to expand market access, support sector strategies, and strengthen the supporting private sector framework in two Lebanese industries: agribusiness (primarily high value foods) and tourism. The Lebanon Business Linkage initiative is partnering with private sector and private sector support organizations to carry out program activities and achieve its three overarching objectives:
- Expand market access in target supply chains - Carry out and support efforts which expand marketplace activity and trade options for Lebanese firms that will be able, through work with LBLI, to compete more effectively in target markets by developing more efficient and productive operations throughout their small business supply chains;
- Expand economic growth opportunities in target sectors - Develop and support activities that result in economic growth strategies for target sectors and work with and through key sector organizations to identify and develop programs through which they can deliver improved services to members and increase their potential for institutional self-sufficiency;
- Improve private sector capacity to drive economic growth - Work with and through private sector constituencies to identify and address weaknesses in the private sector framework that inhibit Lebanon’s ability to address political and religious differences by cooperating to turn comparative advantages into competitive propositions.
Achievements to date:
- Support to Market Driver Firms (MDFs) by facilitating communication with US importers and Lebanese exporters/processors and providing guidance to MDFs on packaging and labeling, US specialty food market requirements, sales sheets and brokering which to date has resulted in a $1,495,567 increase in value of international exports of targeted sector commodities of LBLI assistance.
- Through LBLI’s technical assistance and capacity building, Beyond Beirut has become an officially registered non-governmental organization (NGO) with support from the Ministry of Tourism. Beyond Beirut aims to increase tourism traffic in rural Lebanon and stimulate public-private partnerships to support the tourism sector as well as promote responsible and sustainable rural tourism.
- LBLI provided assistance to producers in completing loan applications, developing business plans and determining appropriate collateral while at the same time coordinated with banks to develop producer-appropriate application forms in order to ease the application process. LBLI’s Business Advisor successfully facilitated application and securing $300,000 in loans to producers for livestock raising and vegetable production.
- Tourism beneficiaries reported increases in sales in the local market attributed to LBLI support in developing packages with tour providers and developing a marketing strategy. Rida International reported a 22% increase in revenue which generated an economic impact of $ 379,611 in the tourism value chain and supported the creation of 7 new full time jobs; and Grey Matter reported a 4% increase in revenue which generated an economic impact of $696,999 and supported the creation of 2 new full time jobs.
- Through linkages to many new distribution channels, development of vertical and backward linkages, technical assistance on pre and post harvest management and developing demonstration plots to introduce new varieties, LBLI facilitated an in increase in the value of domestic sales of targeted sector commodities by $3,115,295 and assisted in developing over 240 linkages among various value chains in Lebanon.
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