Israel is ‘disrupting entire ecosystems’, including Lebanon’s wheat crop
Summary
Experts and researchers told Al Jazeera that Israeli attacks have damaged wheat-growing areas and disrupted farming in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. A study cited in the article found large losses in wheat-growing areas in both regions during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 seasons, while the share of land previously used for wheat that was left fallow rose from 9 percent to 24 percent.Key Facts
- A study by researcher Mariam Ibrahim tracked Lebanon’s wheat production from 2017 to 2025.
- In southern Lebanon, wheat-growing areas fell by 47 percent in 2023–2024 and 61 percent in 2024–2025, according to the study.
- The Bekaa plain produces about 64 percent of Lebanon’s wheat, and its wheat-growing area fell by about 43 percent and 57 percent in those two seasons.
- The study estimated that all cropland in the border town of Bint Jbeil was destroyed.
- In the Baalbeck district, about 32 percent of cropland was destroyed, the study reported.
- Researchers said the share of land formerly used to grow wheat that was left fallow rose from 9 percent to 24 percent, mainly in the south and Bekaa Valley.
- Munira Khayyat told Al Jazeera that attacks and damage to land could weaken its ability to support life and increase drought and desertification risks.
- Ibrahim said Lebanon’s wheat-growing area peaked in the 2022–2023 season, partly as international wheat prices and currency depreciation increased incentives for local farmers.
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