EMPOWERING WOMEN FOR IMPROVED HOUSEHOLD ACCESS TO HEALTHY DIETS IN LEBANON

The Food Heritage FoundationDominique Anid, MPH, LD

Women

Empowerment

Higher investme

nt in children’

s education, health

& nutritio

n

Long–term economic growth (DFID, 2010)

• Global Action to end all form of Malnutrition (ICN2):Need to develop policies on women & women’s

empowerment

• Framework for Action (ICN2): Recommendations: strengthen local food production & processing by small holders & family farmers with special attention to women’s empowerment to promote SFS for healthy diets

Towards Sustainable Food Systems

• Lebanese non-profit organization striving to promote and revive local food heritage through the empowerment of women and small producers.

Vision•To become a major drive of economic development through the promotion of local food heritage

Mission• To document and revive the

traditional cuisine and promote the livelihoods of rural producers and processors through the creation of rural-urban linkages

The Food Heritage Foundation

Farmers’ Market

Community Kitchens

Food Tourism

Our Programs

• Mobile Farmers’ Market “Bringing the farm to the city” – Traditional & healthy food promotion and preservation (since 2013)

• Linking small women producers/farmers to urban citizens for direct sales

• Visits universities and schools to connect new generation to local food heritage

• Capacity Building: Food Safety, Healthy Nutrition, Best agriculture practices, marketing skills…

Farmers’ Market

• Women-led initiatives (since 2012)• Syrian, Palestinian, Lebanese women working jointly to provide

food assistance (hot meals) or healthy snacks to schools• Capacity Building: Food Safety, Healthy Nutrition for the Family,

Recipe Standardization, Kitchen management skills…• Healthy, traditional, culturally acceptable meals/snacks; raw

material procured locally; recipes chosen by women themselves• Reaching around ~200 vulnerable families/d (locals &

refugees) per CK

Community Kitchens (CK)

• “The Generosity Trail”: food tourism trail connecting 9 Lebanese villages increase the income of small farmers, women producers, local guides, and bed and breakfast operations through the development of touristic packages

• Capacity Building: Food safety, Healthy eating, food tourism, menu development…

• Raising awareness about the origin of a food product or a traditional dish and its cultural and emotional ties to the destination.

Food Tourism

• Our programs seek to: Empower small producers/farmers (women) Promote local food systems / traditional eating

inherently healthy Create stable livelihoods opportunities (income

generating) Build capacities of women around food production

Conclusions

• Food-related skills & knowledge• Stable income-generating

activities promoting traditional food

Women Empowerment

A Community-Based Intervention Improves Economic, Social and Food Security Outcomes of Refugee Women – The Healthy Kitchens Experience

Study on 2 CKs in Palestinian camps led by 32 women to provide daily healthy meals to school children to assess the effect of participating in the healthy kitchens program on women’s economic, social and food security outcomes

Methods: questionnaire + open-ended questions

(Jamaluddine et al, Center for Research on Population and Health, American University of Beirut, Lebanon; Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, MD, 2014-2016)

Total HH and Food Expenditures

Significant Increase(p=0.001)

Decision making by women over minor HH expenditures

Significant Increase(p=0.001)

HH Food Insecurity

Significant Decrease(p<0.01)

HH Food-related Coping Strategies

Significant Decrease(p<0.01)

Conclusions

Take Home Message

Programs such as farmers’ markets, community

kitchens & food tourism can empower women to

become ambassadors of traditional

food, helping to

preserve local food systems & reinforcing healthy diets within

families & communities

Thank you!