In October 2023, a photo from USAID’s Community Support Program (CSP) was selected as a winner in the 2023 Climatelinks photo contest themed USAID’s Climate Strategy in Action: Confronting the Climate Crisis Across Sectors. From more than 250 submissions from over 40 countries, CSP’s winning photo under the climate-resilient agriculture category showcased USAID’s efforts in expanding seedling production in partnership with local NGO Cooperation Without Borders (CWB) in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. Through CSP, USAID provided CWB with a greenhouse, a climate-controlled germination room, and an automatic seedling cutting and stacking machine.

To expand on the winning photo, CSP was invited by Climatelinks to develop a blog highlighting the impact of this intervention on the environment and livelihoods as an example of how USAID is confronting climate change. Published on April 2, 2024 as part of its ‘Climate Strategy in Action’ blog series, the blog features USAID’s support to Lebanese farmers amid climate change and prolonged state-electricity cuts. Thanks to USAID’s assistance, by January 2024, CWB’s expanded nursery was operating at full capacity, enabling it to produce more than 1.2 million low-cost seedlings in just two months, benefiting more than 250 local farmers, and saving them around 40% in production costs. To operate the expanded nursery’s new heating and cooling systems during lengthy state power cuts, CWB is utilizing its increased annual income to install a solar farm to ensure a continuous supply of renewable energy. The addition of the solar farm will help ensure the seedlings are kept in a climate-controlled environment despite external factors, and is expected to increase CWB’s annual production to around 20 million higher-quality seedlings. The integration of solar energy not only ensures climate control for seedlings but also addresses the energy crisis in Lebanon, allowing CWB to extend its impact while minimizing its environmental footprint.

“The solar farm that we are now able to afford will also enable CWB to reach many more farmers in the area while protecting the environment,” says Ola Mehyiddin, Agricultural Manager at CWB.