Re-sowing Palestine

The status quo for farmers in the West Bank, as outlined in last week’s posting, was unsustainable for various reasons. Change was required and a Palestinian NGO, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UWAC), teamed up with the European Commission, the Government of Belgium and Oxfam Belgium to address the situation.

In efforts to make agriculture more sustainable in the West Bank, 2009 UWAC opened the first seed bank in the West Bank town of Hebron to produce seeds that are indigenous to the area. These local seeds have been developed over long periods of time by farmers in the area and are therefore adapted to the local climate (ie. dry) and therefore do not require irrigation but are able to grow with minimum soil moisture. Even with climate change and further reductions in rain fall, these seeds would still be able to grow.

While crop yields might be slightly lower in comparison to modern seeds, the fact that farmers do not need to purchase water, which is costly, outweighs the side effects of having slimmer harvests. Not having to rely on irrigation, which is taking its toll on the water table and the reservoirs, makes this farming practice also more sustainable for the region in general. The soil too benefits as irrigation often leads to increased salinity levels and degradation, especially when pesticides and other chemicals are used.

Another advantage is that these local seeds are not licensed, unlike seeds from commercial producers, but are ‘open source’ and are produced and distributed by a non-profit organization. While the organization retains a fee to operate the seed bank and pay for other associated costs, the seeds are still cheaper than the commercially produced seeds sold by conventional suppliers. This allows for lower production costs which in turn makes the produce more affordable to consumers and reduces the cost base for the farmers. Thus the local seed bank also contributes to reducing poverty in the area, as well as addresses the Millennium Development Goals in more than one way, ie environmental sustainability and poverty reduction.

Photo Credit: Ma'an News Agency