Abstract
An ecological health movement has emerged in Lebanon in reaction to problems in the mainstream health care system, to environmental conditions affecting agriculture and food sources, and to urbanization. The movement parallels similar developments in other countries. It depends primarily on practitioners of macrobiotics and organic agriculture, and is centered on the belief that good health is obtained through observance of dietary rules requiring consumption of organic food. The practice of these rules necessitates in Lebanon a reversal of trends toward centralization and urbanization in order to reestablish ties between consumers and farmers. It also implies a renaissance of organic farming and of localism in society as a whole. In its current stage it is highly idealistic, tending to deemphasize profit-seeking and favor altruistic principles. Although it is currently a grassroots movement, its evolution and continued expansion may lead it to adopt more economically competitive practices in the future.
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/2162-4593.6.1.4
Recommended Citation
Perry, Mark. "Ecological Health Movement in Lebanon : An Overview of Alternative Culture in a Developing Country." Journal of Ecological Anthropology 6, no. 1 (2002): 50-68.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/jea/vol6/iss1/4
