Farming, Water, Food Sovereignty, and Nutrition in Occupied Palestinian Territories

Abstract

A core Palestinian struggle is safeguarding adequate food and water. Palestine’s agricultural economy drastically decreased since the 1967 war. Continued construction of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and the separation barrier that was erected between Israel and the West Bank create enormous barriers to food sovereignty. One-third of Palestinians suffer from food insecurity. Most communities located in “Area C” (Israeli controlled territory) of the West Bank aren’t connected to water networks and have to purchase water at vastly increased costs. International organizations, like the World Food Program, the UN Relief and Works Agency, and other groups such as the Palestine Fair Trade Association, Non-Governmental Organizations, and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign, work toward a common goal of enhancing Palestinians’ lives in general, and improving the food and agriculture sector in particular. Better access to the region’s nutritious, staple foods that are low on the food chain could readily provide nutritional needs to the Palestinians. A sample menu and nutrition analysis, intended to meet the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization’s minimum daily energy requirement of 1690 kcal per person per day for people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is provided. If barriers to food access could be removed, food variety could be increased, and food plans meeting this baseline caloric and nutrient requirement would be within reach.