# Back to the land: Lebanese family turns to farming to survive crises Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-06-13 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Lebanon's Wheat Crisis: How Self-Sufficiency is Meta Description: Qassam Shreim turned to farming after economic collapse in Lebanon, finding hope and security in growing his own food amidst soaring prices. URL: https://financedigest.com/back-to-the-land-lebanese-family-turns-to-farming-to-survive-criseshtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-06-12t072649z1lynxmpei5b04frtroptp4lebanon-crisis-family-farm-1736815648595-compressed.jpg) By Maya Gebeily and Aziz Taher HOULA, Lebanon (Reuters) – In a remote village in southern Lebanon, Qassem Shreim crouched low to examine his wheat crop. Food costs have soared amid a global wheat crisis and Lebanon’s own economic meltdown, but the builder-turned-farmer feels shielded by his self-sufficiency. Like many families in crisis-plagued Lebanon, Shreim turned to farming after the local [pound began to slip](https://www.financedigest.com/dollar-slips-after-upbeat-china-data-euro-pound-rise.html "Dollar slips after upbeat China data; euro, pound rise") in 2019, making his construction work scarce and his grocery runs ever more costly. “We couldn’t work, so what did we do? We turned to agriculture,” the 42-year-old told Reuters in his [home village](https://www.financedigest.com/ashberry-homes-launch-river-living-homes-peters-village.html "Ashberry Homes Launch River Living Homes In Peters Village") of Houla, near the border with Israel. Food [prices have jumped 11-fold since Lebanon’s crisis](https://www.financedigest.com/biggest-uk-house-price-fall-recorded-since-financial-crisis.html "Biggest UK house price fall recorded since financial crisis") began, the World Food Programme says. Lebanese authorities have incrementally [increased an official price](https://www.financedigest.com/coca-cola-hbcs-annual-profit-beats-warns-of-price-increases.html "Coca-Cola HBC’s annual profit beats, warns of price increases") cap on loaves of the staple pita bread and fears of a wheat shortage have grown since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine derailed grain shipments. That [crisis feels](https://www.financedigest.com/decision-making-in-times-of-crisis-should-they-be-based-on-gut-feeling-or-data.html "Decision-making in times of crisis: should they be based on gut feeling or data?") worlds away in Shreim’s humble home, where slices of melon picked from their garden glisten in the afternoon sun and the kitchen is stocked with flatbread baked by his wife, Khadija, using wheat from their land. Their front patio and hallway have been turned into a makeshift shop, where wooden stalls made by Khadija bear fat watermelons and jars of freshly-pressed grapeleaves. “Self-suffiency starts at home. I used to buy everything from the shops. [Today all the vegetables I need](https://www.financedigest.com/why-challenger-banks-need-to-capture-the-hearts-and-minds-of-todays-consumers-to-become-the-number-one-choice-in-the-retail-banking-sector.html "Why challenger banks need to capture the hearts and minds of today’s consumers to become the number one choice in the retail banking sector") are available here,” said Shreim. NO GOING BACK Over the [last three years](https://www.financedigest.com/over-50-of-businesses-increased-their-cyber-security-budget-last-year-amid-attacks.html "Over 50% of businesses increased their cyber security budget last year amid attacks"), his family has planted everything from wheat and lentils to tiny eggplants and curled green chili peppers. The plots are at a lower altitude, where water is more plentiful, and regularly rotated to replenish nutrients in the soil while maximizing the number of harvests. But Shreim wasn’t born with green fingers: he learned how to set up greenhouses by watching YouTube videos and has gathered tips and tricks from other farmers. Khadija, 39, has also relied on technology to run the shop. She sends daily grocery [prices every morning to the women of al-Houla through a WhatsApp messenger group](https://www.financedigest.com/tesco-reported-to-competition-watchdog-by-consumer-group-over-pricing-concerns.html "Tesco reported to competition watchdog by consumer group over pricing concerns") by 9 am, and they message back with their requests. They call me the mayor of the village here, I [know everyone,”](https://www.financedigest.com/a-beginners-guide-the-trading-terms-everyone-needs-to-know.html "A beginner’s guide – the trading terms everyone needs to know") said Khadija. For her, sustainability goes beyond farming. She encourages customers to come with their own fabric bags to minimize use of [plastic bags and researches](https://www.financedigest.com/laser-plastic-welding-market-is-expected-to-reach-us-1-5-bn-by-2025-transparency-market-research.html "Laser Plastic Welding Market Is Expected To Reach ~US$ 1.5 Bn by 2025: Transparency Market Research") preserving techniques on YouTube. “As the crisis worsens, I invent new things. For example, I turned what I had remaining from the small eggplants into jam. You wouldn’t believe it – people would tell me ‘what do you mean by eggplant jam?’ I couldn’t keep up with orders,” she said. Still, Shreim’s operation is not entirely untouched by Lebanon’s crisis. Their [home gets one hour of state-provided electricity every day](https://www.financedigest.com/man-charged-under-britains-treason-act-over-christmas-day-incident-at-queens-home.html "Man charged under Britain’s Treason Act over Christmas Day incident at queen’s home") and another four hours from a private generator, which limits how much water they can pump into their gardens. Rains were plentiful last winter but Shreim fears a drier winter this time around could wreak havoc on next [year’s crops](https://www.financedigest.com/crop-merchant-louis-dreyfus-gets-profit-boost-in-volatile-year.html "Crop merchant Louis Dreyfus gets profit boost in volatile year"). They have [cut back on vitamins and some pesticides for cost](https://www.financedigest.com/gms-cruise-to-focus-on-cost-cuts-as-it-ramps-up-robotaxis.html "GM’s Cruise to focus on cost cuts as it ramps up robotaxis") reasons. Before the crisis, farmers often trucked their produce to Beirut, where they could [sell at higher prices](https://www.financedigest.com/3-tricks-to-get-a-better-price-when-selling-your-car.html "3 Tricks To Get a Better Price When Selling Your Car"). Today, it’s different – if I want to take products down to Beirut’s wholesale [market for fruits and vegetables](https://www.financedigest.com/dehydrated-vegetables-market-to-discern-steadfast-expansion-during-2018-2028.html "Dehydrated Vegetables Market to Discern Steadfast Expansion During 2018-2028"), and assuming the car doesn’t break down, the cost of fuel would be what I earn in an entire season,” Shreim said. The tractor he uses to plough his fields runs on diesel and he counts “every [second”](https://www.financedigest.com/london-ranked-as-europes-most-attractive-city-for-businesses-and-employees-for-second-year-running.html "London ranked as Europe’s most attractive city for businesses and employees for second year running") that he runs it. But Shreim shrugged off such worries. I won’t go [back to my old job..](https://www.financedigest.com/financial-services-brings-offshore-jobs-back-to-the-uk.html "FINANCIAL SERVICES BRINGS OFFSHORE JOBS BACK TO THE UK"). I want to continue. [Farming has a future,”](https://www.financedigest.com/food-of-the-future-london-air-raid-shelter-to-underground-farm.html "Food of the future: London air raid shelter to underground farm") he said. (Additional reporting by Maya Saad; Editing by Gareth Jones) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---