Sustainable Agriculture in the West Bank

One of the cross-cutting issues within the international development discourse is sustainability. Although various definitions exist, most authors agree that sustainable development 'is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs’ and that we need to see the world as a system where space and time are connected. In other words, it is essential to realize that our activities of today do not pose a threat for future generations.

Sustainable agriculture is a sub-category within sustainable development and stipulates that food is safe for consumers and animals, methods are environmentally friendly, animals are respected, farmers receive fair wages and are able to live in proper living conditions. The concept of sustainable agriculture also shares the system perspective with the broader definition of sustainability. In order to achieve these goals and characteristics, it is essential that everyone responsible in the process is involved in this system, including consumers, workers, farmers, researchers, policymakers and retailers.

Farmers in the West Bank (occupied Palestinian territory) are all too familiar with the concept of sustainable agriculture, or rather, with non-sustainable agriculture.

It is the nature of the region’s climate that water is extremely scarce and due to climate change, has become even scarcer in recent years. Many Palestinian farmers live in areas with water deficiency, scarce capital and limited growth of legumes and vegetables. One major concern is that the seed market is dominated by Israeli companies, often subsidiaries or contractors of US-based corporations, which sell commercially produced and licensed seeds (often genetically modified).

This is problematic for many Palestinian farmers:

1. Farmers often cannot afford these licensed seeds, which need to be re-purchased every year, becoming reliant on handouts or forcing them to migrate elsewhere
2. The licensed seeds were designed for irrigated fields, a farming practice common in Israel and other parts of the Middle East, however Palestinian famers in water deficient areas usually lack the capital to buy water for irrigation. Paying for water also reduces the profit margin significantly. Equally important, irrigation further depletes already scarce water resources, which is evident from the low levels of the water table and the shrinking size of reservoirs.

At the same time, unemployment rates and poverty levels in the area are high which in turn increases food insecurity, compromising current and future human resources.

Photo Credit from: http://www.revolve-magazine.com/2011/03/13/water-demand/