What if the recipes passed down through generations could do more than preserve Lebanon’s culinary identity? What if they could also sustain family businesses, strengthen women’s economic independence, create employment opportunities, and revitalize local economies?
This vision took center stage at Antonine University (UA) on November 4, 2026, as the University hosted the First National Day of Lebanese Traditional Foods at its Hadat–Baabda Campus, organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Sectoral Committee for Traditional Food Products, under the patronage and in the presence of H.E. Dr. Nizar Hani, Minister of Agriculture.
Held under the theme “Preserving Our Culinary Heritage for Future Generations,” the national gathering brought together public officials, academics, researchers, professionals, entrepreneurs, and local producers around a shared ambition: to preserve Lebanon’s traditional foods as a living part of its identity while strengthening their contribution to local production, economic opportunity, food security, public health, and culinary tourism.
Beyond celebrating culinary traditions, the initiative addressed a broader national challenge: how can the knowledge, skills, and craftsmanship rooted in Lebanon’s villages and families be preserved and developed in ways that create sustainable opportunities for future generations?
From Ancestral Knowledge to Sustainable Livelihoods
In his opening address, Fr. Michel Saghbiny, UA Rector, emphasized that preserving Lebanon’s culinary heritage is not simply an act of remembrance, but an investment in the country’s future and in the people who sustain this heritage.
He highlighted, in particular, the potential of traditional food production to strengthen women’s economic independence, noting that skills inherited from mothers and grandmothers can, when supported by knowledge, guidance, and opportunity, develop into productive ventures that sustain families and contribute to local development.
Fr. Saghbiny also linked heritage preservation to entrepreneurship, small and family businesses, employment, and regional economic activity, stressing the importance of helping producers preserve the authenticity of their products while developing the skills needed for continuity and growth.
This vision reflects a mission deeply rooted in the history of the Antonine Maronite Order (OAM). Across its monasteries, the Order has accumulated generations of experience in agriculture, food production, and the preservation of the land’s resources, while remaining closely connected to the communities it serves.
Today, that mission continues through Antonine University. By placing its expertise in business,communication, public health, and entrepreneurship at the service of society, UA can help strengthen producers’ capacities in management, planning, marketing, and business development, allowing inherited know-how to evolve into viable initiatives without losing its identity.
A National Partnership Around Local Production
The opening ceremony also brought together key voices from the public and professional sectors.
Mr. Tony Ramy, President of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafés, Nightclubs, and Pastries in Lebanon, emphasized the relationship between traditional products, hospitality, and tourism, highlighting the role restaurants can play in connecting local producers with consumers while promoting Lebanon’s culinary identity.
Eng. Louis Lahoud, Director General of Agriculture and President of the Sectoral Committee for Traditional Food Products, commended the OAM’s contributions to agriculture, particularly its efforts to cultivate land, support local production, and create employment opportunities. He emphasized the importance of documenting Lebanon’s traditional food heritage, improving product quality, and strengthening packaging and marketing to expand access to local and international markets. He also stressed the essential role of cooperation among public institutions, universities, and producers in developing the agricultural sector and enhancing its economic potential.
For his part, Minister Hani emphasized the agricultural sector’s role in sustaining rural livelihoods and supporting the national economy. He highlighted efforts to modernize production, assist small farmers, improve product traceability, and encourage investment. Stressing that Lebanon’s competitive advantage lies in quality rather than quantity, he called for stronger cooperation among producers, public institutions, and universities to increase the value and reach of Lebanese traditional products.
From Heritage to Entrepreneurship
The first panel, “Food Heritage Between Authenticity and Healthy Nutrition: Toward Sustainable Healthy Choices,” explored how traditional foods can respond to changing nutritional and consumer expectations without losing their identity.
Moderated by Dr. Krystel Ouaijan, Assistant Professor of Community and Public Health Nutrition at the American University of Beirut (AUB), the session brought together perspectives from business, media, and local food initiatives.
Dr. Robert Gharios, Dean of UA’s Antonine School of Business, emphasized the importance of branding, pricing, marketing, and distribution in enabling small producers to strengthen their businesses and reach wider markets. He also proposed interdisciplinary training workshops through UA to help producers develop the entrepreneurial and managerial skills required for sustainable growth.
Mr. Omar Khaddaj, reporter and TV anchor, addressed the media’s role in keeping culinary heritage visible and relevant, particularly among younger generations, while Ms. Zeinab Kashmar of Souk el Tayeb highlighted how local markets and direct engagement with consumers can sustain small producers and support regional economies.
Food Security, Public Health, and Cultural Identity
The second panel, “Traditional Foods and Food Security: Between Past and Future,” broadened the discussion to nutrition, agricultural resilience, and cultural continuity.
Moderated by Ms. Manal Merhi, Head of UA’s Department of Nursing Sciences, the panel brought together perspectives from agricultural research, culture, international development, and hospitality.
Dr. Rima El Hajj, Director of the Fanar Station Laboratory at the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), highlighted research supporting food safety and local crop preservation. Dr. Ali El Samad, Director General of the Ministry of Culture, emphasized the importance of safeguarding culinary heritage as part of Lebanon’s cultural identity.
Ms. Marie-Louise Hayek, Programme Associate at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Lebanon, addressed Lebanon’s nutritional challenges and the value of traditional diets, while Mr. Ramy highlighted the role of restaurants in supporting local producers and strengthening culinary tourism.
Together, the two panels underscored the breadth of the issue: traditional food is simultaneously a matter of heritage, health, agriculture, livelihoods, entrepreneurship, tourism, and national identity.
From National Dialogue to Concrete Action
As the discussions moved toward future action, Eng. Lahoud called for continued collaboration with UA through regular training workshops involving relevant national and international organizations. He also announced plans to extend the initiative to Lebanon’s regions, beginning in Zahle, and to work toward the development of an atlas of Lebanese traditional food products by 2027.
The event concluded with recommendations presented by Dr. Roula Azar Douglas, Dean of UA’s Faculty of Information and Communication, focusing on five interconnected priorities: strengthening food security and agricultural resilience through research, preservation of local varieties, and food safety; supporting local production and economic development through stronger links with the hospitality sector, traditional markets, and culinary tourism; promoting health and responsible communication grounded in scientific evidence; documenting and transmitting Lebanon’s culinary heritage to younger generations; and reinforcing institutional cooperation among ministries, universities, research centers, producers, and communities.
Together, these priorities pointed toward an ecosystem in which knowledge, production, markets, public policy, health, culture, and education work in closer coordination.
Bringing Lebanon’s Culinary Heritage to the Table
An exhibition of traditional Lebanese products complemented the discussions and gave tangible form to many of the issues addressed throughout the day.
Participating initiatives included Insan Foundation’s The Pantry from Kobayat, YMCA Lebanon’s Jana Al Ayadi Cooperative from Deir Al Ahmar and Holy Family Cooperative from Qana, Souk el Tayeb, and Mada Association, showcasing products rooted in different Lebanese regions and communities.
The Antonine Maronite Order was represented through products from several of its monasteries, offering a direct expression of its longstanding relationship with the land, agriculture, food production, and craftsmanship. These products reflected a living heritage built over generations around work, patience, quality, respect for nature, and service to local communities, while embodying the continuity between the Order’s historical mission and the role its University assumes today.
Preserving Heritage by Investing in People
The First National Day of Lebanese Traditional Foods ultimately placed people at the heart of heritage preservation: farmers, producers, women, families, entrepreneurs, researchers, professionals, and communities whose knowledge keeps these traditions alive.
By bringing together government institutions, academia, international and national organizations, professional sectors, researchers, producers, and local initiatives, UA provided a national platform for considering how inherited knowledge can remain culturally meaningful, nutritionally relevant, and economically viable.
For the University, this approach is inseparable from the wider mission carried by the Antonine Maronite Order throughout its history: to serve people and communities and place knowledge, work, and expertise at the service of human development.
The event also pointed toward a longer-term role for UA. Fr. Saghbiny expressed the hope that the National Day would become the starting point for workshops, training programs, and community initiatives across the University’s three campuses, supporting local producers and helping promising initiatives develop into sustainable economic projects.
In this sense, the first National Day marked both a celebration and a beginning: a national effort to make the table of previous generations a bridge toward Lebanon’s future, preserving and enriching what has been inherited while opening new doors of work, economic independence, opportunity, and hope for generations to come.
Read the Rector’s full speech in Arabic [here].