Spatializing Farmers’ Perception of Agricultural Resources with Focus on Cereals Cultivation in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Fatima Mohamad Fawaz, Safaa Baydoun, Joseph Bechara, Roudaina Khalil, Lamis Chalak and Mehdi Saqalli ()
Additional contact information
Fatima Mohamad Fawaz: Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agronomy, The Lebanese University, Dekwaneh P.O. Box 90775, Lebanon
Safaa Baydoun: Research Centre for Environment and Development, Beirut Arab University, Bekaa P.O. Box 11-5020, Lebanon
Joseph Bechara: Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, Jdeideh 1202, Lebanon
Roudaina Khalil: Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agronomy, The Lebanese University, Dekwaneh P.O. Box 90775, Lebanon
Lamis Chalak: Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agronomy, The Lebanese University, Dekwaneh P.O. Box 90775, Lebanon
Mehdi Saqalli: NRS UMR 5602 GEODE Géographie de l’Environnement, Maison de la Recherche, Université Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, 31058 Toulouse, France

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-22

Abstract: Lebanon’s cereals production holds historical importance in the Bekaa region, which has served as Lebanon’s agricultural heartland for centuries. Today, this vital area for food security faces environmental challenges that threaten the viability of its cereals farming sector. This study examines the current state of agricultural resources and territorial features of cereals through the lens of farmers and the local community using Perception-Based Regional Mapping (PBRM). The resulting maps were digitized and analyzed using QGIS to highlight spatial disparities across the region. The study was conducted during the summer of 2023. A total of 36 maps were developed with local farmers who first identified the areas relevant to cereals cultivation, and then reflected the spatialized perceptions covered 93% of the total study area and delineated it into distinct zones based on eight criteria identified by farmers: water availability, water quality, type of water resources, soil type, soil fertility, agricultural productivity, landform, and size of arable land. The primary cereal crops grown in the region are wheat, barley, and corn, with wheat dominating cultivation. Farmers use both traditional and mechanized methods, apply nitrogen-based fertilizers and herbicides, and rely on rainfall or limited irrigation. The resulting maps highlighted the distinct agricultural zones within the basin, of which 1030 km 2 (74%) were identified as appropriate for cereals cultivation. The findings underscore the value of local knowledge in identifying environmentally and economically favorable zones for cereals production, and contribute to the design of targeted, region-specific policies and interventions aimed at enhancing the resilience of cereals farming systems in the Bekaa—especially in light of ongoing socio-environmental pressures.

Keywords: cereals production; Bekaa region; perception-based regional mapping; spatial analysis; local knowledge; environmental challenges; Lebanon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/8/1667/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/8/1667/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:8:p:1667-:d:1726954

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().