Lebanon tops the list of countries facing crises, with a new problem and warning emerging every day. The latest warning comes from Amin Salam, the Minister of Economy in the outgoing government, who confirmed that food security is at risk, expressing concern over food quality and the entry of smuggled goods into Lebanon. What did the minister base his renewed warning on? Is food security really in danger?
"What the minister said is what we warned about before, and it reaffirms what we've previously stated in clear announcements," says Hani Bahsali, head of the Syndicate of Food Importers in Lebanon, stressing that the warning did not come out of nowhere. In an interview with MTV, he explains, "We are in contact with the minister and the director general of the Ministry of Economy, and they have sources of information, one of which is our syndicate," clarifying that "the syndicate warns about the risks to food security if we do not address the issues at hand."
Bahsali adds, "We do not make claims lightly that food security is at risk; every moment has its consequences, and every period has its factors, and these consequences can change, as was the case at the beginning of the Ukrainian war when we warned that if we did not address the topic, we would witness a shortage of wheat and oil. However, after two months, we had secured alternatives, and oil is still available in the market."
He continues: "Recently, we witnessed a strike by public sector employees, prompting us to renew our warning that food security is threatened. However, when the authorities addressed the issue and the employees returned to work, the pressure in this context eased, although the matter has not been completely resolved until now."
Bahsali warns that "insisting on maintaining high levels for the customs dollar will affect all food items, which will see their prices rise randomly, and thus, food security will be affected." He reveals that the syndicate is working on an initiative to alleviate the burden on citizens, stating, "We are trying to convince the authorities to exempt basic items, such as cheese, canned goods, and vegetables, from customs duties to prevent their prices from increasing."
