APN | Lebanon

26 September 2025

"Dialogue on justice and food sovereignty is only genuine when led by the free” said ANFS Founder and APN Chairperson Razan Zuayter in her opening remarks at the “Food Justice Under Genocide in Lebanon and Gaza” conference organised by the Agricultural Movement in Lebanon in collaboration with the Union of Tyre Region Municipalities of Tyre District, the Lebanese University Task Force, SEAC – Socio Economic Action Collective, the Siyada Network, and the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty (ANFS). The event brought together experts, researchers, and policymakers from across the region.

In her opening remarks, She emphasised that achieving sovereignty over political decision-making is inseparable from food sovereignty, highlighting the importance of unifying efforts and positions while striving for Arab agricultural and economic integration.

Zuayter pointed out that sectarianism and confessionalism have weakened the Arab region and contributed to the marginalisation of its agricultural production. She stressed that the first steps toward liberation begin with freeing our minds from colonialism and domination, trusting our own capacities, and resisting Western-imposed terms and strategies.

She concluded by affirming that the conference aims to restore the compass to where it should be and to reiterate that the first step toward liberation is freeing the mind from colonialism, dependency, and hegemony.

In a specialised session on food and environmental justice under the current international system, Zuayter presented on the issue of “weaponizing food” and the dimensions of food sovereignty.

The conference sought to discuss how food systems are being transformed into tools of war, connect international human rights law to regional realities, and examine the consequences of the Zionist aggression on Lebanon and its impacts on agricultural and environmental policies.