Some people pray to leave a country during times of war and conflict, but Dr. Marc Beyrouthy prays for the relief and support needed to remain in Lebanon. He prays that the Lebanese people can rebuild their villages, preserving their culture, language and traditions.

He is unapologetic about how the recent attacks are affecting the livelihoods of Lebanese families and small businesses.

“People who would never (have thought of) leaving Lebanon are thinking of leaving Lebanon now.”

Dr. Marc Beyrouthy was raised in Kartaba, a village in Mount Lebanon, and moved between this village and Jbeil (Byblos) during his childhood.

His life is instilled with values and a passion for Lebanese agriculture. He hails from a long line of farmers who are proud to contribute to Lebanon’s formidable agriculture industry.

He explains the biggest threat to the Lebanese villages now are restrictions to businesses, particularly agriculture, where many farmers are denied the right to enter their own land and have to forfeit the year’s produce.

“(The conflict) is the biggest threat to agriculture. We don’t know when it will end, what’s the end game, and small businesses and farmers are affected.”

“Farmers are not allowed to enter their own vineyard.”

Dr. Marc, an Agricultural Engineer with two PhDs, and a former advisor to the Minister of Environment, has contributed to improving biodiversity in Lebanon.

His work with the Lebanese government helped support investment in projects that reduce pollution, improve sewage treatment and irrigation in villages.

Now, he watches on as people in villages escape the conflict to safer areas.

He explains that his efforts to support the next generation of farmers have gone to waste.

“The impact on the south of Lebanon is catastrophic.”

As an ambassador for Lebanon’s biodiversity and economy, Dr. Marc is calling for humanitarian aid and support for the people of Lebanon.

He believes his appeal has gone unnoticed.

“The problem is the world is watching. The world is watching as if we are watching a Netflix series on TV.”

Seeing firsthand the effects that the conflict has had on farmers, he took the initiative to establish a not-for-profit organisation, “Made by Nature,” to raise funds from Lebanese people and other communities outside of Lebanon to support and advance Lebanon’s agricultural economy, despite the recent conflict.

“Made by Nature” is a natural segue for Dr. Marc. His previous efforts in Lebanon were aimed at improving the capability of local farmers to distribute sustainable produce.

He now engages these farmers to support his vision of delivering humanitarian aid to Lebanon. His social enterprise, “Nature by Marc Beyrouthy,” aims to invest in the continued livelihoods of local farmers to distribute relief in the form of local produce to vulnerable families.

He is calling on Lebanese and non-Lebanese people around the world to support the livelihoods of local farmers in Lebanon. He wants the world to share in his passion for Lebanese produce.

He is calling for urgent support for Made by Nature as a lifeline for small producers.

Made by Nature supports local producers by reselling their produce, which is then delivered to families in Lebanon. He wants this appeal to be supported by the efforts of Lebanese farmers, for the benefit of Lebanese families.

He explains this simply: Made by Nature is support “from Lebanon to all of Lebanon.”

You can contribute to these efforts by visiting the Made by Nature contact page. Stories of families in villages receiving these appeals can also be found in the shop section of the webpage. Alternatively, you can contact Dr. Marc and his team on Instagram: @madebynature.lb