| Palestine lies within the Fertile Crescent, the birthplace of agriculture. The total agricultural land, approximately 183,400 hectares in the Palestinian territories (83% in West Bank and 17% in Gaza Strip), is dominated by rainfed agriculture and small holdings. However, pressure on the land, water scarcity, a limited market for local products, and the Israeli occupation are major constraints to the development of the agricultural sector in Palestine. ICARDA is working with local scientists to provide improved germplasm for cereals, legumes and forages, and to build the capacities of research institutions to improve agricultural production. |
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| A view of ongoing destruction in Palestine. |
Agriculture plays an important role in the Palestinian economy by significantly contributing to food requirements and providing jobs to more than 50% of the population. Livestock production contributes roughly 40% of the agricultural income in the West Bank and 25% in Gaza. But the political situation is impacting the agricultural sector. Only 33% of the rangelands are accessed by an estimated 770,000 head of sheep and goats, due to Israeli restrictions and settlements. While most of the agricultural production is for domestic use, it is also subjected to high competition from Israeli products that have free access to Palestinian markets.
The National Agricultural Strategy and the National Research and Extension Policy recommended intensifying investment in agriculture to guarantee food security and increase the competitiveness of local products, despite the prevailing political situation. The capacities of agriculture-related agencies and departments (the National Agricultural Research Center—NARC—and the Directorate of Extension and Research) are limited. Many international organizations and NGOs, including the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), are working towards the rehabilitation and sustainable development of the Palestinian agricultural sector.
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| Training Palestinian farmers in water harvesting techniques to enhance agrobiodiversity. |
The collaboration between ICARDA and Palestine dates back to 1994, when a series of meetings were held with scientists from the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment and from many NGOs, including the Agricultural Research Institute, Jerusalem (ARIJ), to discuss potential areas of support for the development of well-coordinated, efficient research and extension systems that will ensure sustainability. Since then, ICARDA has signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, and the National Agricultural Research Center for the provision of improved cereal, legume and forage germplasm, for capacity building, and the implementation of joint projects. ICARDA has international nurseries of both food and forage crops to support breeding efforts in Palestine. Many Palestinian scientists have either been trained at ICARDA, or have participated in international conferences. The training and exchange visits have continued in spite of the difficult situation in the territories. In addition, ICARDA is coordinating two regional projects in collaboration with Palestine: the dryland management project and the GEF/UNDP funded project on conservation and sustainable use of dryland agrobiodiversity.
The Regional Dryland Management Project
The West Asia region is located in the arid and semi-arid zones characterized by high evaporation rates and low, erratic and unpredictable rainfall during the winter months. Overgrazing, wind and water erosion, poor irrigation and increased population are key contributors to land degradation. Within the framework of the multilateral working group for peace and the environment, sponsored by Japan, ICARDA is the facilitator for the regional initiative for dryland management. The project focuses on environmental protection, particularly combating desertification and optimizing marginal quality water-use, range management and human resource development.
This project promotes techniques to ensure more efficient water use in the Palestinian territories in order to increase agricultural production. Scientists first selected plant species that are tolerant to water stress, mature early (before harsh summer conditions start), are economically promising, and are preferred by the farmers. These plant species are: a local landrace olive (Baladi), a local landrace fig (Khdari), a local landrace of almond (Mokhmali, which may be marketed as fresh green fruits, or later as peeled almond), a local landrace of apricot (Mistikawi) and a promising peach.
Researchers then tested different water-harvesting techniques on the selected plant species after consulting with natural resource management experts and farmers. Target areas were selected in the southern part of the Hebron District, where annual rainfall ranges from 300 mm to 400 mm. Two techniques of water harvesting were selected: V-shaped micro-catchments, which is new to the farmers, and permeable rocks, which has been widely used for years.
The project has also conducted a study to determine the social and economic characteristics of dryland farming, opportunities, and challenges facing the farmers.
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| A field genebank at Beit Oad station where wild species of fruit trees are being planted. |
The number of recorded plant species in West Asia ranges from 234 in Kuwait to about 3000 in Lebanon and Syria. There is a grave risk that much of the agrobiodiversity of West Asia will be lost unless a holistic approach is employed for the conservation of land, water and genetic resources.
The GEF/UNDP-funded project on conservation and sustainable use of dryland agrobiodiversity in West Asia is coordinated by ICARDA along with the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and the Arab Centre for Studies of the Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD). The project, which started in 1999, is implemented in Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, and Syria. It aims at building sustainable actions for conserving in situ and on-farm landraces and wild relatives of species of global significance originating from the Fertile Crescent (cereals, lentil, allium, annual forage legumes, olive, fig, pistachio, plum, and almond). The target areas in Palestine are Jenin and Al-Khalil, and its activities are executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and the UNDP/Programme of Assistance to Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP). In the past four years, the project has been able to assess the status of local agrobiodiversity, the factors leading to its degradation, and has demonstrated technological options for improving productivity.
For example, in 2002, the project distributed over 60,000 thyme, 6000 Silvia, and 12,000 chamomile seedlings to about 120 women farmers in the target sites. Also, over 1200 seedlings of targeted fruit trees were distributed to farmers in Sa'eer and Daheria. The project also provided cuttings of major fruit tree landraces to two private nurseries and to the Ministry of Agriculture nursery. Out of a rich collection of genetic resources, ICARDA holds 1006 accessions of Aegilops, barley, durum wheat, primitive wheat, wild Hordeum and wild Triticum, collected in Palestine. The Center is looking forward to repatriate this germplasm to rebuild a national genebank in Palestine for use in agricultural rehabilitation.
The project has also helped draft a national policy and legislation for agrobiodiversity conservation, increase public awareness and is working with the Ministry of Education to include biodiversity conservation in the school curriculum. The Palestinian project component was very active in enhancing regional integration and networking, and has succeeded in implementing most of the project activities. The positive contributions and progress of this project have been acknowledged by major stakeholders including the Ministry of Agriculture, UNDP/PAPP, local NGOs and farmers.
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| Palestinian teachers receiving certificate of training in conserving agrobiodiversity. |
Training young researchers in key areas and providing them with opportunities for higher studies is an important component of ICARDA's collaborative program with Palestine. Recently, 14 teachers from Sa'eer and Daheria took part in a training course in increasing awareness about the importance of conserving local agrobiodiversity. The course was organized jointly by ICARDA, the Palestinian Agricultural Research Center, NGOs, Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment. To date, ICARDA has trained more than 80 researchers from Palestine. In addition, 42 scientists and extension personnel have benefited from courses covering the various aspects of in situ conservation and valuation of local agrobiodiversity, eight from a one-week course on scientific writing, and two from a two-day practicum.
Future Focus of the ICARDA-Palestine Program
ICARDA’s long experience in dryland agricultural development will provide many opportunities to strengthen research and extension in Palestine. ICARDA will provide technical backstopping, training and appropriate technologies, and will also make available the expertise and technologies from regional institutions, and advanced research institutions worldwide. ICARDA will also play a major role in enhancing research efforts at the national level among the national research and extension institutions, NGOs, universities and local communities.
