GREEN&FAIR: employability and entrepreneurial capacities in ecologically relevant sectors for women and youth in Egypt Lebanon and Palestine
Context and objectives
The Mediterranean region stands out as a highly vulnerable area to climate change. Water scarcity appears as a pressing challenge which, together with rising temperatures and advancing desertification, can lead to health risks, lower productivity, and population displacements. One of the sectors that will be predominantly affected by these climate-change consequences is the agricultural sector. At the same time, the sector itself has become majorly responsible for air, water, and soil pollution.
In Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine, the agricultural sector has been facing several, inter-related challenges ranging from poor water management and insufficient investment, to lack of information on sustainable agricultural practices and innovative techniques.
Beyond the negative effects on food security, these challenges also have severe consequences on the social and economic sustainability of our region, where 19% of the labour force is employed in agriculture. Most of the labour force participating in the sector is composed of vulnerable groups and it has one of the highest percentages of informal labour. Moreover, at the MENA regional level, 26 percent of the total female employment rate is concentrated in agriculture.
In this context, the project Green&Fair aims at fostering the employability and self-employability of vulnerable groups in the Southern Neighbourhood countries in ecologically relevant sectors. The initiative will target young and women producers to increase their capacities to apply socially and environmentally sustainable practices in agriculture and agricultural related sectors.
Overall, this initiative will contribute to the promotion of the green transformation of the Southern Mediterranean economies with a view of supporting employment promotion in the green sector.
Location
Key facts
Countries:
3
Duration:
12 months
Grant awarded:
293,961.54 EUR
Budget for the action:
367,461.54 EUR
Promoter
COSPE – Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti
COSPE is an international non-profit organisation founded in 1983 with the aim to promote dialogue between people and between peoples, for a world of peace and acceptance, with more rights and democracy, more social justice, and environmental sustainability, in the name of equality between men and women and the end of all discrimination.
Beneficiaries
- At least 120 youth and women from vulnerable communities, including refugees and migrants, working in agriculture and agricultural-related activities in Egypt, Lebanon, and Palestine
- At least 15 local organisations working on the improvement of livelihood opportunities in environmentally sustainable sectors in the Southern Mediterranean region.
Key actions
Technical capacity building for at least 120 women and young agricultural producers from vulnerable communities on green and social production practices.
Technical support and coaching for at least 120 women and young agricultural producers from vulnerable communities to access market and distribution channels.
Financial literacy and business development trainings for at least 120 women and young agricultural producers from vulnerable communities.
Support and coaching on funding opportunities for at least 120 women and young agricultural producers from vulnerable communities who are dedicated to green and social entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector.
Establishment of a coordination mechanism among Fair Trade Organizations at the regional level to strengthen the coordination capacities of local organizations who work towards the improvement of livelihood opportunities for vulnerable groups in ecologically relevant sectors.
Networking events at regional level to improve coordination for those organizations, promote exchanges of best practices and therefore foster an enabling environment for the producers.
Expected results
Women and young people from vulnerable communities in Lebanon, Egypt, and Palestine, including migrants and refugees, improve their skills as agricultural producers from vulnerable communities to foster the environmental and social sustainability of their production and distribution practices.
Women and young people from vulnerable communities in Lebanon, Egypt, and Palestine, including migrants are refugees, improve their access to funding opportunities specifically dedicated to green and social enterprises in the agricultural sector.
Local organizations working on the improvement of livelihood opportunities for vulnerable groups in ecologically relevant sectors strengthen their networking and coordination capacities to enhance lobbying and advocacy initiatives at the regional level.
