According to Dr Emile Joseph Salamé, farming in Lebanon has come a long way since his father founded the family’s agribusiness, SAJES, in 1978. SAJES has been at the forefront of much of that change.
Crop varieties are dramatically different than they were four decades ago and now include plants bred to require less water – an immensely beneficial trait in the famously arid Levant. Organic farming is becoming popular, and many agriculturalists are looking to hydroponics and other modern techniques to bring their farms into the 21st century.
That said, Dr Salamé also points to several areas where Lebanese agriculture is falling behind. By and large, Lebanese farmers do not utilise the digital technologies that have been widely adopted elsewhere to monitor their crops and improve efficiency. Furthermore, many lack access to relevant scientific data when looking for solutions.
SAJES’ continued mission, asserts Dr Salamé, is to change all that. Since its inception, the company’s community-focused research and development has served the needs of the region’s farmers and innovated the agricultural sector. Moreover, the fact that SAJES is a family business is a contributing factor when it comes to sustainability; their people-first approach as important as the agricultural knowledge they proliferate.
