Lebanese agriculture contributes only to about 5% of the national GDP, yet beekeeping itself has always been considered an important income generating for the Lebanese agriculture and a factor of sustainability on the farm.

Honey production is a growing business in Lebanon; however, the average production is still low compared to other countries. In addition to the efforts of international NGOs to promote and grow beekeeping in Lebanon among rural families, an increasing number of personal investors have been developing honey production businesses over the past five years.

Marc Antoine Bou Nassif founded L’Atelier du Miel in 2012 with his brother and a friend. “We wanted to reconnect with nature, and we started thinking of different activities to do that, but the one that really captured our goal was beekeeping.”

In response to the blast, L’Atelier du Miel decided to give back to Beirut’s affected community and focused on spreading sweetness during the toughest times.

As part of the من_قلبي_دعم_لبيروت# relief initiative, L’Atelier du Miel, one of the portfolio companies under the USAID-funded Middle East and North Africa Investment Initiative (MENA II), distributed more than 1,300 honey jars to 650 households affected by the blast.