10/17/2024
This year, Qatar Charity celebrates World Food Day under the slogan " Right to Food for a Better Life and a better Future." The "Supporting the Wheat Value Chain" project in northwestern Syria, launched in 2019 in partnership with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is one of the leading initiatives worldwide to enhance food security.
The project was designed to support and build the resilience of communities affected in northwestern Syria through a range of sustainable interventions, supporting wheat production from seed to bread. It encompasses various stages, including the establishment of seed multiplication stations to support the production and restoration of pure Syrian wheat seed varieties, providing farmers with agricultural inputs, rehabilitating grain storage facilities, and supplying new mills with a production capacity of 50 tons per day. The initiative also involves renewing mill buildings, creating flour storage facilities, rehabilitating bakeries, and providing new bakery lines for bread production, as well as purchasing wheat directly from farmers to encourage them to cultivate and produce wheat, contributing to local production and food security.
Wheat is stored in silos, ground into flour, and then baked and distributed for free or at subsidized prices to the most vulnerable groups in camps, villages, and towns hosting internally displaced persons.
Pioneering Achievements
The project has achieved several milestones in northwestern Syria, including the establishment of three seed multiplication stations for local Syrian wheat seeds and the rehabilitation of three grain silos, each containing 36 storage cells with a capacity of up to 1,000 tons. Additionally, two mills with a production capacity of 50 tons per day were installed in Mare' and Al-Ra'i, and 1,124 wheat farmers were supported to cultivate one hectare each with agricultural inputs, resulting in the cultivation of 1,124 hectares and the production of 4,500 tons of wheat. Furthermore, 7,749 tons of wheat were purchased directly from farmers for milling, encouraging the marketing and cultivation of wheat in the targeted area. Approximately 8.28 million loaves of bread were distributed to the host community and displaced persons in northern Syria, along with the provision of two automated bakeries (bread production lines) with a capacity of 5,000 loaves per hour.
It is noteworthy that Qatar Charity is seeking funding for the sixth phase of this project and is looking for ongoing funding due to its significant importance in supporting the resilience of displaced persons and farmers by economically empowering them.
The sixth-year plan focuses on expanding support and building resilience within local communities through new activities targeting climate change and enhancing the role of women in rural areas in wheat-related products. Additionally, agricultural machinery will be provided to farmers and local institutions operating in the region to address climate change challenges.