Bridging Food, Technology and Culture in Lebanon: Nathalie Fakher Eddine

While working towards her master’s degree, Nathalie learned about UNITAR’s training programme “Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Promoting Food Security and Economic Development in Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon”. The programme, financially supported by the Government and People of Japan, aimed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the practical skills and knowledge to develop businesses that contribute to sustainable and resilient food systems in the Middle East and North Africa.

Setting aside doubts about whether her platform concept was ready, Nathalie applied and was accepted. She joined the first two online phases at the height of the war, learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, agribusiness and entrepreneurial tools, techniques and best practices to devise solutions for food security challenges and how to make businesses more sustainable.

Her hard work paid off, and she was selected as one of the 17 top performers invited to the final in-person workshop in Tokyo and Hiroshima, Japan, from 4 to 11 February 2025. The experience, Nathalie says, changed her life. She met other business owners and professionals from around the world. Making those connections and learning from each other was, for her, the most fulfilling part of the UNITAR experience.

The programme helped Nathalie broaden her perspectives and make her company model more viable. To increase her platform’s long-term impact, Nathalie plans to further diversify revenue sources, implement more environmentally friendly procedures and integrate agri-tech solutions – all things she learned through the programme.