International audience This article presents the results of an ethnographic study of the Beirut wholesale fruit and vegetable market during the spring of 2019. Located on the outskirts of the Palestinian camps of Sabra and Shatila, but with the presence of Syrians, this market represents a commercial hub, a metropolitan supply centre and a more or less informal employment centre. By collecting unsold produce, it also acts as a vital resource for the particularly disadvantaged population living nearby. Finally, it supplies many small shops, which are often run by Syrians.