Marie-Louise El-Hayek, project manager and gender coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Lebanon, discusses with Lina Maddah the policies pertaining to the creation and sustainability of efficient cooperatives and associations in the agri-food sector in rural areas of Lebanon. She also addresses the importance of providing viable tools for understanding the constraints and opportunities in agricultural cooperation, and sheds light on women's empowerment and their role in rural cooperatives.

Marie-Louise El-Hayek holds a degree in agricultural engineering from the Lebanese University, a master's degree in food safety from the Francophone University Agency in France, and a certificate in food sciences and technology from the National Agricultural Institute of Paris-Gringon. She has more than 20 years of experience in the food and agricultural sectors with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger, improve nutrition, and maintain food security.