Nadine El Khoury Kadi, a leading voice for Lebanon’s olive and olive oil sector, has been honored for her dedication to the industry. With over 25 years of experience in agriculture, she has built a career around driving purposeful change.
As the chief strategy officer at Quinta Group, Kadi has taken her commitment to the sector further, representing and speaking for Lebanon’s olive and olive oil industry. In a recent interview, she reflected on her journey, which has been shaped by her experiences in the agricultural sector.
Kadi’s recognition represents a voice for what she believes in, reflecting over 25 years of experience. She chose to stay and invest in Lebanese soil, standing by and defending farmers despite the challenges they face. Being named representative and spokesperson for the sector gives her a greater opportunity to advocate for the industry and help shape its future.
Among her most meaningful achievements is building Quinta Nursery into the region’s vegetable grafting nursery, serving over 5,000 farmers. This helped raise production by 50 percent while reducing pesticide use, creating a meaningful impact for farmers, businesses, and agricultural communities.
Kadi’s experience with QOOT, a community of 150 companies, taught her that collaboration is key to driving innovation. By bringing together producers, academics, institutions, and entrepreneurs, QOOT created possibilities that none of them could have achieved separately, strengthening the ecosystem.
Stronger connections between agriculture, food producers, and the hospitality industry can create greater value, Kadi believes. When chefs and hoteliers source locally and know the farmers behind the products, value stays in Lebanon, quality rises, and trust grows.
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Lebanon has opportunities to compete on identity and standards, not volume, in the Middle Eastern food sector. The country’s olive oil, wine, fruits, vegetables, and specialty products have real distinction in a region hungry for authenticity, quality, and provenance.
Kadi sees the need to modernize agricultural heritage through technology, integrating it across the chain to create stronger and more resilient systems.
As a woman in the sector, Kadi believes that recognition is catching up with reality.
Kadi wants to use her voice to connect two worlds: agricultural heritage and innovation, science, technology, and young talent.
Through her role, Kadi continues to connect people, ideas, and opportunities to create something bigger.
They will continue to face challenges, but Kadi remains optimistic about the future.
