Lebanon: fig holding and SDG#1 no poverty.

Ng, Poh Yen; Bastian, Bettina Lynda; Wood, Bronwyn

Abstract

Poverty reduction is pivotal for sustainable development and has been identified as the first sustainability goal (SDG#1) by the United Nations. Poverty has remained a key challenge for countries in the Arab world, which is characterised by persisting levels of poverty and significant income inequalities, where the top 10% of people account for 64% of all wealth. Arab states have undertaken diverse efforts to reduce poverty on national and regional levels to operationalise the 2030 Sustainability Agenda. Nevertheless, the achievements of objectives have been rendered difficult by numerous challenges such as ongoing regional conflicts, civil wars, political instabilities and refugee crises (mainly due to the Syrian war). Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent Ukrainian war have also impacted food security and aggravated the poverty situation in the region. Insights regarding poverty in the region come from the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which is published by the United Nations Development Programme and measures factors of living conditions that affect family spending and poverty rates, such as health, education, and living standards (such as nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling, sanitation, electricity, drinking water, and assets, among other factors). The MPI showed that in the aftermath of COVID-19, the Arab region experienced a significant household income loss with an extreme poverty rate of 11.3% in 2023. The pandemic has pushed eight million additional people into extreme poverty, and a total of 48 million individuals in the Arab world are now living below the poverty line. Different surveys converge in their findings that between 70% to 85% of families in non-oil-producing countries in the region have to borrow money or rely on some form of aid to cover their monthly needs, which renders them vulnerable and likely to slip into poverty. The present case is set in Lebanon, located in the Arab region. It describes and illustrates how Fig Holding, a family-run enterprise, has used its capabilities and resources to engage people in need and help alleviate poverty's effects on families and individuals in adverse conditions created by the economic crisis, especially after the Beirut port explosion. The case also shows how Fig Holding has transferred its knowledge to other contexts, notably Armenia, which was confronted with a refugee influx due to the military offensive in Nagorno Karabach in September 2023. The present case examines actions and initiatives adopted by a family business to achieve community engagement and support impoverished people and individuals in need during a crisis.

Citation

NG, P.Y., BASTIAN, B.L. and WOOD, B. 2025. Lebanon: fig holding and SDG#1 no poverty. In Birththistle, N. (eds.) Attaining the 2030 sustainable development goal of no poverty. Leeds: Emerald [online], pages 55-68. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-570-620241005

• Online Publication Date: Nov 13, 2024
• Publication Date: Jan 31, 2025
• Deposit Date: Dec 19, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 20, 2024
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 55-68
• Series Title: Family businesses on a mission
• Book Title: Attaining the 2030 sustainable development goal of no poverty
• ISBN: 9781836085737
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-570-620241005
• Keywords: Poverty; Sustainable goals; Arab region; Family enterprises
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2625979