Lebanon is moving to decentralize its grain silos to bolster food security, Economy and Trade Minister Amer Bisat said, as the country faces mounting regional security threats and repeated Israeli warnings of a potential conflict.

The plan aims to distribute wheat storage across multiple regions, reducing the risk of shortages should hostilities disrupt supplies.

“From the outset, our goal has been to strengthen food security through a decentralized approach to silos, giving each region independent storage capacity to withstand any emergency,” Bisat told Al-Markazia.

The minister said Lebanon is currently developing a scientific plan in collaboration with partners in Kuwait, which has committed $1.5 million to fund feasibility studies.

“Full financing for constructing silos across all regions will come from a broader package of international contributions we are working to secure,” he added.

The proposed plan includes building modern silos in Beirut, Tripoli and its port, and the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon’s main wheat-producing region. The minister said the new facilities will follow modern, flexible standards to improve efficiency and sustainability.

“The study will give us a precise roadmap covering engineering, environmental, and financial aspects, which will help attract additional funding from other partners,” Bisat said.

Lebanon’s current wheat reserves cover only about one and a half to two months of demand, held mostly by the private sector. Prior to the 2020 Beirut port explosion, silos could store roughly 120,000 tons.

“Lebanon is constantly exposed to economic, regional, and security shocks,” Bisat said. “It is essential to maintain a strategic reserve sufficient for at least three months.”

The minister stressed that while studies will set a detailed construction timeline, authorities are aiming to implement the plan as quickly as possible to safeguard the country’s food supply.