Economy. His concern for the agricultural industry and the rural world was evident from the start of his parliamentary career: He was elected as head of the Commission of Agriculture and Food Supply for two consecutive terms in 1946 and 1947, as well as head of the Commission of Public Works in 1947. In the 1950s, Khoury became involved in the fight against the monopolization of staple foods and rising prices and became one of the leading figures in the world of trade. He was often consulted by authorities in times of national emergency. During the 1958 Lebanon crisis, he belonged to the group of traders that sounded the alarm about the paralysis of commercial activity in the country, and publicly encouraged the unloading of boats in the Port of Beirut to avoid food shortages. In addition to his involvement in the wheat trade, Khoury also revolutionized sugar production in Lebanon. In 1963, in his capacity as representative of sugar refiners, he advised Prime Minister of Lebanon Rashid Karami on the measures to be taken to meet the country's sugar requirements for the following year. His suggestion was to encourage the production of sugar beet, almost nonexistent in Lebanon at the time, in order to boost domestic output and allow the country to move towards self-sufficiency in sugar production. He was also one of the largest shareholders in the Anjar sugar factory, playing a key role in the resolution of the sugar beet crisis that lasted from December 1964 to June 1965 and which saw the Bekaa peasants clashing with the management of the factory itself. Khoury's stature and position as a prominent industrialist made him inclined to a traditional and benevolent social paternalism towards the peasants. To help Lebanese farmers and combat rural exodus, he was actively involved with the Banque de Crédit Agricole, Industriel et Foncier (BCAIF), founded in 1954, becoming chairman in 1958. During the banana crisis caused by the violent storm of 20 November 1964, which destroyed production for an entire season, Khoury offered long-term loans to banana growers in order to alleviate their difficulties. Industry and commerce Khoury was one of the pillars of Lebanese industry during the second half of the 20th century, and he was a keen supporter of investment of Lebanese capital in the industrial sector, which he advocated as a means of increasing the national income and curbing unemployment. He was