Grapes Under Siege: A Lebanese Vintner's Battle Against War and Climate
Elias Maalouf's vineyard faces challenges from Israeli air strikes, drought, and Lebanon's turbulent history, threatening his six-generation legacy of winemaking. Despite significant losses and ongoing adversity, he remains committed to his ancestral land, innovating by diversifying his business offerings to sustain operations.
In the sun-drenched plains of eastern Lebanon, vintner Elias Maalouf inspected a withering grapevine in his family's ancestral vineyard. Last year's Israeli air strikes disrupted his harvest, and now a severe drought has further reduced the vine's yield.
Maalouf's family has been crafting wine for six generations in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon's wine-making hub. The region suffered during peak grape-picking season last year due to Israeli air strikes against Hezbollah. The assaults resulted in heavy damage to Maalouf's winery, which lost thousands of bottles and liters of potential wine export.
The toll on Lebanon's agricultural sector has been immense, with over 4,000 hectares impacted. As political and climate challenges persist, Maalouf has resorted to innovative business strategies to support his operations, even as historical crises and modern threats loom large.
(With inputs from agencies.)
ALSO READ
Wildfire Crisis: Human Exposure Soars Amid Climate Change Threats
Controversy Over Trump Administration's Climate Change Proposal
UPDATE 1-Tariffs, climate change, smaller Brazil crop drive coffee prices up, ICO says
Tariffs, climate change, smaller Brazil crop drive coffee prices up, ICO says
Climate Change Shifts Gangotri Glacier Discharge Patterns
Google News