Welcoming YPARD Lebanon Country Representative:Malak Tleis

We are delighted to welcome our very first YPARD Country representative for Lebanon: Malak Tleis

Malak hails from  a rural area in Lebanon. Her passion for agriculture started way before she can remember and its the same passion that drove her to go towards agriculture studies. She holds an Agricultural Engineering degree from Lebanese University with a specialization in Plant Production major (2012). 

Her greater interest in organic Agriculture saw her enrol for Master Studies in Organic Farming Department  at IAMB Italy from 2012 to 2014. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in the Organic area at  Parthenope University, Naples Italy in the Environment Resources and Sustainable development department. Her work revolves around the development of the organic market in Southeast Mediterranean countries, the reasons of development and in particular the profile of the organic food consumer. Marketing is the last piece of the chain of agriculture production but nonetheless a very important one. People needs are the drivers of food production and that is why it is crucial to know these needs and work upon meeting them. 

"Organic farming gave me a whole different perspective of agriculture, where it should not be only oriented towards providing food for people but also towards conserving the environment in which we are benefiting from. It is a wholesome system that adopts environmental friendly agricultural practices with the least harm on nature and taking into consideration the social and economic aspects of farmers. Controlled by a strict rules, organic is a certified production system that aims toward having sustainable food production systems"

The rural population in Lebanon is losing interest in agriculture in the current unstable conditions and more so in the light of scarce governmental and private sector support. They are abandoning their land and heading toward cities for more secure professions. This is reducing our society’s resilience to shocks and political insecurities. Here is where the role of agricultural professionals and especially the young generations come in to alter the realty.

"Being part of YPARD will give me the chance to connect with other young agricultural professionals in my country and join forces with them to try to positively contribute to this vital sector. Sharing expertise and knowledge among young professional can help us to propose steps that can contribute to the sector. Our forces joined can be used as a power to influence policy marker and to reach a wide part of farmers who can benefit from our knowledge. My hope is that YPARD Lebanon can have a role in raising awareness to these issues. By offering our experience and scientific knowledge, we can spread awareness among the community. By creating this network, communication among professionals will improve thus making it easier to create concrete action."

We can’t wait to hear more from the Youth-in-Agriculture in Lebanon and we trust that YPARD Lebanon will be successful in mobilizing the youth through Malak’s leadership.

Welcome on board Malak Tleis!

If you are from or based in Lebanon, and want to get involved in YPARD Lebanon activities, please contact Malak at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.