Lebanese farmers receive support to improve olive cultivation

·       BRILIB XXXII carries out the Almazara programme in collaboration with professors from the Schools of Agricultural Engineering of the Universities of Extremadura and Zaragoza

Three professors from the School of Agricultural Engineering of the University of Extremadura and one from the University of Zaragoza went to Lebanon from 26 February to 2 March to carry out the Civil-Military Cooperation Programme (CIMIC) "Almazara".This programme is aimed at introducing improvements and developing the agricultural activities and techniques of the local Lebanese population, mainly regarding the cultivation of olive trees and the production of oil,  basic ingredient of Lebanese cuisine.

The programme consisted of a combination of theoretical and practical sessions for farmers and students of the technical schools of Khiam and Nabatieh, who had the opportunity to receive information on techniques to improve the treatment of olive trees and the quality of olives and olive oil.

This activity began in early 2016 as a collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and some Spanish universities and, on this occasion, the programme will be conducted in collaboration with the Universities of Extremadura and Zaragoza.

Civic-Military Cooperation

In all international missions, efforts are made to implement CIMIC cooperation activities. One of the best known CIMIC activities are the so-called 'quick impact projects', such as the construction of water wells, donation of educational material for use in schools or the conditioning of small infrastructures, among others. These are quick actions, with positive, tangible and immediate results, which are one of the fundamental tools for a successful mission. Specifically, in 2019, the Spanish Armed Forces carried out 31 projects of this type in Lebanon.

Another type of CIMIC activities are the long-term development programmes, aiming to consolidate the collaboration with society in the countries where the Spanish troops are deployed.