Jibal Association for environmental and social justice in Lebanon

JIBAL is a not-for-profit association founded in Beirut in 2017 (governmental final approval in January 2019). Jibal promotes and advances social and environmental justice – or the fair and equitable distribution of environmental and social benefits (and burdens) – in Lebanon through the furthering of collective organization, accessible and open knowledge, and regenerative principles. Jibal is open to the region and builds bridges with many like-minded organizations in the Middle-East, the Arab world and further.

Jibal works mainly on food sovereignty, environmental justice education and narratives changing.

On food: Jibal works to transform the inner workings of the conventional food system in Lebanon – from production, to distribution, to consumption practices– which are extractive towards people and the planet. By working directly with farmers, experts, community influencers, and consumers, we support the growth of agroecology and the food sovereignty movement. Under this program Jibal conducts bottom-up knowledge production, hands-on training programs, and partnership building with agroecological experts and community ‘influencers’.

As for education: Jibal aims to help schools – students and teachers alike – develop their sustainability initiatives. In collaboration with Eedama, we offer a range of engaging activities related to sustainable development and environmental friendliness that combine project-based work, debates, field trips, sustainability exercises, and hands-on experiments. Pictures of the latest activities we did with children and schools can be seen on Instagram.

In 2024, Jibal responded to Lebanon's evolving challenges with a focus on strengthening food sovereignty for advancing social and environmental justice. In face of the escalation of Israeli aggressions, Jibal’s work remained rooted in solidarity and resilience, in collaboration with local partners and initiatives. The year saw the continuation of key projects, including territorial food strategies, the promotion of agroecology practices among farmers, the development of models for social enterprises like social groceries, and mobilizing collective work. Jibal also adapted to urgent needs by supporting the establishment of community kitchens in shelters, ensuring displaced individuals could regain a sense of agency over their food, and worked on changing narratives. This report outlines the organization’s diverse initiatives, collaborations, and responses, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to building more just communities and systems in Lebanon.