Support resilience of olive trees' farmers and improving livelihood to crisis-affected vulnerable groups. Prior to the beginning of the current crisis in 2011, Olive sector played a very important role in the economic and social life of Syrian states. The following data (Syrian Olive Office 2011 – 2015 statistics and publications - position paper 2016) supports this role:12% of total cultivated areas  - 66% of total fruit trees areas – 28% of total fruit trees production – It contribute up to 3.5% of the national income, 9% of the agricultural income.
Due to the current conflict there has been a lot of damage to olive sector suffering from major problems such as the decreased yearly production of olive fruit (up to 50% decrease in 2016 compared to 2011 - Olive Position Paper 2016) caused by lack of inputs and services such as fertilizers. Besides the high costs of other services like land-plowing, harvest, pruning of trees, the absence of governmental support which led many Olive cultivated areas to become at risk of being out of production.
In 2017-2018 Sadad has implemented an HF funded project related to olive trees support after identifying needs in 10 villages and this was a successful experience which supported farmers’ resilience and improved olive trees productivity and drew the attention of HHs again to invest and restore these olive holdings as a source of income.
This project has been designed based on needs assessments and surveys came from Sadad previous Olive trees’ support project and after conducting new Needs Assessment in Aug 2018 in 30 villages identifying the major problems and needs based on new beneficiaries needs and desire to support more areas of olive trees.
The project will target 15 villages in Al-Ma’ara and Ariha districts, classified among severe districts according to FS Situation Report and thus action is required to save life and livelihoods especially as these villages have large areas of olive trees which are in need of agricultural inputs and services as indicated in needs assessments. Sadad experienced and technical team in cooperation with LCs and agricultural units will work to deliver the project’s interventions focusing on improving food security and supporting livelihood through providing two main components:
-Improve food security by increasing the productivity of 300 hectares of Olive trees owned by 1500 female-headed households (HHs with access to 0.5 hectare or less of olive cultivated holdings) through providing quality agricultural services (average 2 dunums per Household) as follow:
#conducting leafy-nutrition (fertilizers) service to the targeted 3000 dunums of olive trees.
#conducting Autumn and Spring land-plowing service to the targeted 3000 dunums of olive trees.  
#conducting the harvest service to the targeted 3000 dunums and providing beneficiaries with olive-oil extraction vouchers.
#conducting technical pruning service for the targeted 3000 dunums of olive trees. 
-Improving livelihoods and creating means of income for 615 males and females workers through providing them with cash for work related to agricultural activities:
#60 male-beneficiaries will be hired, trained and provided with cash for 60 working-days to conduct the projects related services and activities during the whole project duration.
#420 beneficiaries (390 females / 30 males) will be hired, divided into groups and provided with cash for 25 working-days to conduct olive fruit harvesting to the targeted 300 hectares of olive trees.
#135 male-beneficiaries will be hired, trained and provided with cash for 45 working-days to perform technical pruning to 300 hectares of olive cultivated areas.
The project's main aim is to support olive sector in Rural Idleb, build resilience, support livelihood to the most vulnerable groups with agricultural training to be taken as priority for improving productivity and means of income. The project will also mainstream general protection and will encourage the collaborative labor and activate roles of agricultural offices at the local councils' level.