The Bounties of South Lebanon
Words by AiméE ListeR
With images of war, occupation, and violence, the South's vibrant and rich history of agriculture gets overshadowed and destroyed daily. We're taking a moment to shine the light on the bountiful harvests that the Southerners share with the rest of Lebanon.
Olives
Southern Lebanon is home to approximately 14 million olive trees, all of which are standing resilient – enduring the constant threat of Israeli occupation and the relentless ecocide it is unleashing on the land. Since October 2023, the Israeli army has burnt down more than 50,000 trees as a result of cross-border fire which results in uncontrollable blazes tearing across the land. Their caretakers continue to risk their lives to venture out and harvest their precious crop. The dominant olive variety in Lebanon is called "Souri" which is thought to be one of the oldest types of olives in the world, originating from Sūr. Olive cultivation dates back as far as the Phoenicians (8,000 years). These olive trees cover almost a quarter of Lebanon's land mass.
“The photos above are of the machine that washes the olives before they’re pressed into oil. A beam from a skylight shines on the mountain of cleaned drupes. Today, with just a few weeks until the olive harvest begins, we have no access to our groves and no knowledge of the state they’re in. All we’ve heard from neighbors is, “the trees look bad, they’re covered in dust, they’re gray.” If there are any olives waiting for us, they probably look a lot like the ones in this photo. Hopefully, this will all end and the October rain will wash away what Israel has done to our land but for Kfarkila, there will be no harvest this year.”
Olive Harvest 2023. Video by @farrahberrou
Tobacco
Tobacco cultivation in Lebanon dates back to the Ottoman era. The industry grew significantly during the French Mandate period (1920-1943). The establishment of Regie Libanaise de Tabacs et Tombacs in 1935 marked a formalization and centralization of the tobacco industry in Lebanon, leading to more regulated and systematic cultivation practices across the country.
Today the south of Lebanon alone produces about four million kilograms of tobacco that are planted and farmed by around 13,500 families. Locals refer to the crop as "al-nabti al-murrah" ("the bitter crop"). It is a naturally rugged and resilient crop, meaning it is able - more than other crops - to withstand many of the contingencies of war.
The industry is one of the main contributors to the Lebanese economy through its main three departments: agriculture, production and trading and anti-smuggling. This year, southern families haven't been able to tend to the crop and profit from their year-long intensive labor due to the continuous aggression of the Israeli army.
Fruit
As an article on Land Stories describes it, the drive south from Saida is punctuated by expansive, green fruit plantations. In the past, though these may have been predominantly citrus, now you'll see a lot of bananas because – as the article explains – these promise a quicker profit.
Citrus arrived in the Mediterranean along Portuguese and Genoan trade routes. It was discovered that the Mediterranean coast offered the ideal conditions for growing citrus, hence, Yaffa becoming so famed for its oranges. After the Nakba, many Palestinians came to Lebanon with their seedlings, introducing all kinds of varieties.
Today Lebanon has the Yafawi from Yafa, Abu Surra (or navel orange), Balanceh (or Valencian orange) often grown for juice production, Youssef Afandeh (or mandareen) the most famous local variety of mandarins, Bou Sfeir (or bitter/Seville orange) often used in marmalades or for cooking purposes due to its sour and slightly bitter flavor, and Mawardi (or blood orange) known for its distinct red or deep orange flesh and sweet-tart flavor. Apparently, around 250,000 tons of citrus are grown in Lebanon each year.
Photos by @jibalngo
