The agricultural Committees recommend framing the farmers’ within a social movement
Ramallah – The audience of the annual agricultural committees’ conference recommended framing the Palestinian farmers within a Palestinian farmers’ movement to advocate for farmers’ rights and strengthen their resilience on their land. The conference was organized by the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) under the slogan “Together to Protect Farmers’ Rights,” it was held at the Palestine Red Crescent in Al-Bireh and was attended by the members of the agricultural committees from all the Palestinian Governorates, local and international organization in addition to media organizations.
The general director of UAWC Khalid Al-Hidmi opened the conference pointing to its importance and the actual role of the agricultural committees. He also emphasized on the importance of building a Palestinian Farmers’ movement that will support the farmers’ resilience.
In his word, the representative of the agricultural committees Jihad Jaradat highlighted on the concept of volunteer work to support the rights of farmers’, pointing that the agricultural committees have worked along with UAWC against the occupation’s policies that aim to expel Palestinians from their land.
The member of UAWC’s board of directors Yousef Abd Al-Haq presented an overview about the Palestinian Farmers’ Movement and the actual role of the agricultural committees especially after the accordance of Palestine, represented by UAWC, as a full member of La Via Campesina movement that defends small-scale sustainable agriculture as a way to promote social justice and dignity.
The Researcher Jibreel Jahshn exposed the gaps between law and practice regarding the Palestinian farmers’ rights’. Moreover, the coordinator of the agricultural committees in Gaza Saad Al-Deen Ziadeh gave a brief summary about the agricultural committees in Gaza.
During the conference, a short film about the success story of the rural woman Fathia Salameh was presented along with a presentation about the success story of the farmer Khaled Al-Zar’I in the Governorate of Tulkarem. Furthermore, a film about the barley sprouting unit was shown and was followed up with a presentation by the Engineer Omar Titi.
At the end of the conference the audience recommended advocating for amendments to the agricultural laws, in addition to raising the national budget of the Ministry of Agricultural and putting a clear national plan to support the agricultural sector.
Finally, UAWC honored 27 agricultural committees, 5 women farmers and 10 journalists representing different media organization.