Rebuilding Women Owned Farms of Gaza

Solidarity Campaign with Women Owned Farms of Gaza Raises $25,000 to Fight Food Insecurity and build Economic Resilience.

​​Gaza Urban Agriculture Platform (GUPAP) have released their campaign report in efforts to foster resilience of Women Agripreneurs in the Gaza Strip across late 2021.  

GUPAP is a Palestinian organisation aiming to increase the resilience of women agripreneurs and improve the food sovereignty of the Gaza strip. Having launched in 2013 as a ​​multi-stakeholder, interactive and participatory organisation, GUPAP supported the establishment of an Urban Women’s Agripreneurs Forum (UWAF) in 2019 to unite women producers and farmers from across Gaza. Combining knowledge and resource sharing with rights advocacy, the women agripreneurs aim to increase economic resilience and sovereignty of their food and agriculture system in Gaza.

The Gaza Strip is a densely urbanised, independently governed area of occupied Palestine. Times of crisis and occupation exacerbate already difficult structures that limit women’s ability to produce food for export or local sale, and access to agricultural land is limited due to restricted access zones. Rates of food insecurity reach sixty-two percent of the population for moderate to severe food insecurity. In the wake of Covid-19 and the May 2021 bombings in Palestine, GUPAP reached out to organisations across the globe for solidarity with women agripreneurs of Gaza.

GUPAP and UWAF are working towards an independent and resilient food system for Palestine and all Palestinians, and with the assistance and support from Sustain: The Australian Food Network, Global Gardens of Peace, Eco CARE Pacific Trust and Just Food Collective Australia, a campaign for solidarity was established.

The aim was to raise $25,000 in an international crowdfunding solidarity format to distribute to fifty two women of UWAF. This was achieved through weekly meetings and interviews of seven women of UWAF, which became published success and resilience stories. See here to read. 

Sustain: The Australian Food Network coordinated an online event that was convened with the support of Free Palestine Melbourne, as a launch to the campaign on World Food Day 16th October 2021. The campaign reached its goal, raising $25,880 by January 2022. 

GUPAP and UWAF conducted a four phase implementation model for distributing the funds to fifty-two women. The outcome of this was to purchase the products of the women agripreneurs at a fair and agreed price. The first phase included preparing to select the fifty-two women who would receive sales for their products, and it was also decided that the food, seeds and plants sold would go to women in crisis and vulnerable situations across Gaza. 

The products were inspected in phase two, for quality control and consumer protection in conjunction with the Minister for Agriculture in Gaza. Phase three included the purchase of the products where approximately two hundred and eighty dollars were spent on each agriprenuer. 

The plan for distribution of the sold products to women in crisis and vulnerable situations was established and the final stage included the delivery of food baskets. Three hundred healthy food baskets were created with fresh and preserved products and given to families in need.

UWAF also established packages based on the needs of recipients of non-governmental organisations they were networked with. Women farmers received seeds, gluten-free products were given to members of the Ard Al-Insan Palestine for Celiac Disease, and products made from stevia were given to the Haifa Association for Children with Diabetics. Women in the Hayat Center, (a safe shelter for women) received healthy food baskets. They made a significant impact to the food security needs of the four hundred and seventy-three priority women and families that received them. 

Summarised by Amy Tacey, President, Just Food Collective.