Al-Ard concludes the activities of the unique agroecology project

« Promoting the Agroecology Approach among Small Scale Food Producers in Occupied Palestine » is a large-scale project aimed at supporting peasants, farmworkers, fisherfolks and rural families all across the West Bank. The activities took place in several major governorates, including Hebron and Ramallah and were aimed at promoting agroecology and sustainable agricultural practices. We successfully managed to reach more than 350 students, 418 young people and close to 500 farmers and rural workers with a focus on youth and women. Different activities were led, including:

• 7 awareness-raising workshops were held in order to raise awareness among students, especially those majoring in agriculture, about agroecological practices and their importance for the environment. Throughout this activity, the beneficiaries of the project were able to understand the importance of resilient and ecologically-sound agricultural techniques, while tackling concepts such as permaculture and sustainable food value chain. At the end of these workshops, each student received a certificate that proves their skills that can be applied in their professional life. The creation of a network involving universities, students, and NGOs was also a key element of these workshops.

• 3 innovative model farms to serve as schools for other farmers to develop the agroecology approach; we aimed at promoting agroecology movements and practices as well as increasing the adoption of these practices among smallholder farmers in Palestine. These models of agricultural development led by youth and women contribute to creating links between seed production and local seed banks and showing how impactful agroecology can be on the local community and food sovereignty as well.

• 8 agricultural youth tours were designed to exchange knowledge between the North and the South of the West Bank. This was by providing young people with a thorough knowledge of different farming practices so that they can share it with other young Palestinians, we also aimed at fostering interactions between them and with experts, as well as creating links with technical universities, decision-makers and women cooperatives.

• Training for Trainers (TOT) programs were given to build expertise in agroecology which is still lacking in Palestine. Thanks to over 72 hours of training which gave young agricultural engineers a high level of scientific and practical knowledge, they can now contribute more broadly to spreading awareness on agroecology to farmers that are not knowledgeable or familiar with this approach.

The project had some very positive impacts on Palestinian society. On the one hand, it increased the beneficiaries’ knowledge and understanding of agroecology on a large scale, reaching both young people and farmers; on the other hand, it participated in improving people’s livelihoods by increasing their productivity and income. On the environmental level, the project helped to improve soil health as well as increase the resilience of agricultural systems to the impacts of climate change. These are essential components to the construction of food sovereignty in Palestine which is at the core of Al-Ard ambitions.