The CEDARS program -
CLUSTERING FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZATION OF INDUSTRY SECTORS

Duration of Project
September 2002 - September 2005

Partners
Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF)
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
RMF - USA

About CEDARS
The CEDARS program was created by USAID and CHF to support and promote the agribusiness industry in the rural areas of Lebanon with the highest growth potential. CEDARS focused on strengthening the "product-to-market" chain for goods and services produced locally. To do so, CEDARS worked on the national level with an Agribusiness Industry Advisory Council and, on the regional level, with an Economic Development Advisory Committee to support industry agents that seek to implement activities within the product to market chain. This allowed for rural areas to become activity zones. The RMF operated under a Memorandum of Understanding with CHF in the two growth poles of North Lebanon and the Bekaa.

CEDARS Achieved Objectives
Development of sectors with a strong growth potential (called "industry anchors") in each of the four growth poles of North Lebanon, South Lebanon, Bekaa, and Mount Lebanon.
Strengthening of commercialization through technical improvement, adoption of quality standards, procurement of goods and services, strengthening market channels, and others.
Building technical partnerships that span a broader confessional and geographically diverse area.

CEDARS Activities
Activities were grouped into 5 categories: acquisition of goods, technological improvement, quality control, strengthening of associations, and development of marketing channels.

The RMF implemented five projects within the CEDARS framework:

In the North it worked on the improvement of goat breeding, the improvement of forage production, and the valorization of arboriculture growing. It also created a Central Market to aid in the commercialization of products.

In the Bekaa it assisted a local cooperative in the creation of the Douriss cold storage unit.

Upon the completion of the CEDARS projects in September 2005, the CEDARSplus program was initiated for the period running February 2006 to November 2007. It included the following projects:

Expansion of the Agricultural Central Market (Nationwide)
Expansion of Fruit Trees Production
Forage Production Expansion
Enhancement of the Olive Oil Sector in Lebanon