The fourth LET seminar on Agricultural policy was held on the 8th of October, 1996. Dr. Toufiq Jaber (Masters Degree in Agriculture Economics and Development and a Ph.D. in Economic Development and Efficiency) presented a study on the challenges facing agricultural policy in Lebanon to Ministry officials, leading agro-economists, and representatives of agro-businesses. Dr. Jaber outlined the main characteristics of the agriculture sector, identified its problems, described the governmentís agricultural policies, and finally listed and suggested his recommendations and policy reforms to improve its performance. In addition, Dr. Jaber touched upon and described how the agriculture marketing system in Lebanon functions and described the major factors affecting agricultural production and marketing.

Dr. Jaber concluded his presentation by making some recommendations such as the encouragement of agricultural research and the improvement of research methodology, the lowering of the production cost of agriculture through extension services, and the improvement of the quality of the agricultural product.

The discussions following the presentation centered around the problems faced by agriculture and the means and measures which should be adopted to improve the agriculture sector. It was agreed by all participants that as a starting point , the agriculture performance could be improved by studying the local demand which requires extensive research and the use of modern research techniques. Some believed that the governmentís neglect of the agriculture sector led to the widening gap between agriculture and industry and between rural and urban areas. It was recommended that unless the government provide more support for the sector it will perish and stated that the government should play the role of the architect of a structural adjustor and reformer rather than just a trader.

The research study entitled: The Agriculture Sector in Lebanon: Analysis, Prospects, and Policy Recommendations to Facilitate Sectoral Development; was published in Arabic, in April 1997.