AGRYTECH LEARNING SERIES
Session #1: Animal Production In The Agri-food Sector
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 from 12:30 pm till 2:00 pm · Zoom Webinar
About The Session
Milk, meat, chicken, eggs, honey, wool, etc. are products that we need and consume daily. Even though some Lebanese companies are producing them locally, Lebanon relies mainly on the import of dairy products, meats of all types, processed chicken products, and honey, because of the limitations in production, in addition to its higher cost compared to imported products.
To understand more about the challenges facing the animal production sector especially the dairy sector in Lebanon, we will host experts in this sector to share their experiences and inspire entrepreneurs to innovate viable solutions.
Meet The Speakers
PANELIST
Rodrigue El Balaa
Chairperson at University of Balamand
Dr. Rodrigue El Balaa holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from the Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine – Nancy – France. He is the Chairperson of the Department of Agricultural Engineering Technology at the Issam Fares Faculty of Technology of the University of Balamand. He is an expert in Agricultural Value Chains and has been involved in and managed numerous studies and development projects funded by international donors. Dr. El Balaa is die hard supporter of the quintuple innovation helix framework which involves an environment of collaboration between universities, industry, government, and civil society within a knowledge economy.
PANELIST
Elia Ghorra
Manager Domaine de Taanayel-aec
Elia Ghorra is the manager of domaine de taanayel managed by arcenciel (a Lebanese NGO). The domaine is a 230 ha agricultural project with dairy production and processing as well as ecotourism and environmental activities.
Using the vision of aec management and the cooperation of the team, he was able to adapt more sustainable actions and energy efficient methods such as solar energy, integrated water management as well as many other new technologies.
He believes that circular economy as well as inclusive business models coupled to technology and innovation are the pillars of future developments.
During the last 15 years he worked on several feasibility studies for several sectors and projects (agriculture, industry, processing, tourism and services) which gave him a good business insight enabling him to adapt and work in different fields.
Elia holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Engineering from ESIAM-USJ, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from USJ and IAE
PANELIST
Jihad Daher
Owner/Technical Manager, Goutblanc
Jihad Daher is an Agriculture Engineer specialized in animal production, founder of Goutblanc (dairy goat farm with European breed saanen and alpine)
Moderator
Youmna Naufal
Journalist, Communications Consultant-#YCHATS, CGTN
Youmna Naufal is the Executive Director of the “Lebanese Youth Forum,” previously titled “Lebanese Student Society,” a Beirut based foundation focused on giving Lebanese youngans an opportunity to articulate their vision by preparing them for their professional endeavours and connecting them with the right stakeholders Naufal is also the Producer and Host of “Y Chats,” Lebanon’s first up close and personal discussion show in the English language where guests cover a range of political, social and cultural topics, and success stories are highlighted. Y Chats is meant to give hope and a voice to the young generation facing obstacles in the country. Previously, she was the Head of the English News division at Future Television (broadcast throughout the GCC) where she was tasked with producing and anchoring the daily news bulletin and conducting live interviews with political figures and analysts. To date, Naufal has interviewed more than 600 figures including Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange, former US Senator John McCain, Author of Science Lucy Hawking, UN Special Representative for Iraq Nikolay Mladenov and Brazilian Football Legend Ronaldinho. To date, Naufal has participated and/or moderated more than 70 high level panels, most recently in Davos where she took part in panels regarding the evolution of political Islam as well as the role of the public sector in attracting millennials. Naufal received her MA degree in International Relations/International Business from New York University in New York.
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About Agrytech Learning Series
Lebanon is suffering from an on-going economic crisis placing the agri-food sector at a pivotal point. While the sector is facing numerous challenges including the lack of technology, the low efficiency, and the lack of funds, many opportunities to innovate are emerging.
Our aim today is to create a community of entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers, creatives, and an orbit of experts and supporters, leading to the creation of startups that would serve the local, regional and international needs, pushing the agri-food sector forward.
In this context, Berytech is gathering key experts in a 3-session webinar to discuss immediate challenges in the agri-food sector that require innovative solutions.
Need more info?
If you have any questions about the Agrytech Learning Series, please contact us at agrytech@berytech.org.