Investing in Business Linkages: Women’s Rural Development Association in Lebanon Grows out of Seasonal Success

In Lebanon’s fertile Beqa’a Valley, a women’s rural development association has transformed its food-processing business from a seasonal activity to a year-round source of income for its members. Dunia El Khoury, president of the Women's Association of Deir El Ahmar (WADA) used to close her organization’s processing center every summer, putting 20 women out of work because of decreased local demand for its products.

With the support of the USAID-funded Lebanon Business Linkages Initiative (LBLI), the women of WADA are now busy all year long, preparing stuffed grape leaves—a traditional Lebanese appetizer—under a contract for Gadenia Grain d’Or, one of Lebanon’s leading food companies. LBLI is working with WADA to foster relationships that strengthen the association’s business model by tapping into the full network of value chain actors, including processing, packing, and exporting companies who have direct connections to specialty food markets. Download the PDF to read the full story.