histaytiyyah@gmail.com

Hassan Istaytiyyah started the professional experience by managing his own commercial farm for the production of small ruminants in the rural area North East Lebanon, and then started consultation work as specialist in the development of rural agro-pastoral communities.

Now with over 25 years of applied and academic experience in the field of agriculture and development. Key skills include writing the technical part of the project proposals, implementing and managing projects focused on improving the livelihood of the rural communities working in small ruminants value chain. Working experience in high risk areas in Lebanon has yielded very strong understanding of the social and economic culture of the agro-pastoral communities, given the ample work with rural communities.

Hassan Istaytiyyah has acquired a B.S in Agriculture in 1985, and M.S in Animal Science in 1987, from the American University of Beirut, and started his business and professional experience in his field of studies, by operating his own commercial farm for Forage and Small Ruminant production in Lebanon since 1992, where he acquired a vast experience in these sectors. Managing his own farm has sharpened his technical know-how and enabled him to understand the production and marketing constrains and resulted in implementing farming as a sound business model.

Having the scientific back ground and technical experience in the small ruminant sector, and working with rural communities, Hassan started in year 2000 taking several consultations for development programs in the field of Agriculture; designing short term projects for GIZ (German Technical Cooperation), giving trainings for Veterinarians and extension officers working with the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, training Small Ruminants producers communities on technical aspects with the American University of Beirut, looking over the activities of some local NGOs working in the small ruminant sector, and designing their strategies, being a member of the national team for ICARDA (FAO) project the Mashrek-Maghrem III Project, working with ACDI/VOCA projects funded by USAID, as senior field coordinator in Lebanon on the small ruminant Dairy Sector value chain, then as a manager for a short term DIFD feed distribution project in Hermel-Lebanon, as AMAR project Forage Component Director in Bekaa, South and North-Lebanon, working with Relief International in Baladiyat Project (working with Municipalities) as Regional Manager for Akkar North Lebanon.

Hassan last full time position was Farmer to Farmer Country Director, a project implemented by ACDI/VOCA, and in addition to his responsibilities with FtF, Hassan last title with ACDI/VOCA was New Business Technical Adviser.

Hassan recent professional activities were consultations with IESC and VEGA, providing technical assistance to build Agribusiness product for the microfinance institutions working in Lebanon, consultations with Mercy Corps (WFP) on Services in Small Ruminants production System. Other consultation missions were assessment study for the Small Ruminant and Dairy Sectors in the Kingdom of Jordan, studying constrains and potentialities of these sectors, business and technical assessment for commercial small ruminant farm s in Sudan and Qatar.