The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) deposits Palestinian seeds at Svalbard Global Seed Vault to protect the Palestinian agricultural heritage in light of the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza
In an unprecedented step aimed at protecting and preserving the Palestinian agricultural heritage, UAWC succeeded in depositing a batch of Palestinian seeds from its Local Seed Bank at Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, known globally as the Noah’s Ark Reserve. This achievement comes as part of the UAWC’s strategy to protect Palestinian crops from the threat of confiscation and deliberate vandalism that threatens the Palestinian agricultural heritage, amid the genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation on the Palestinian people and their continuous attempts to abolish their existence and control their resources.
This step aims to preserve Palestinian crops for future generations, considering the escalation of Israeli encroachments targeting land and agricultural infrastructure and imposing severe restrictions on farmers, in addition to the effects of climate change. This deposit was made in partnership with Nordic Seed Bank (NordGen), which facilitated the deposit and storage process in accordance with an agreement that guarantees the protection of seeds from any illegal interference.
Under the agreement, one batch of seeds will be stored permanently at the Svalbard Biodiversity Bank, while another batch will be kept at Nordic Seed headquarters in Sweden under a “black box” system that allows seeds to be kept untouched except with the owner’s permission.
The Local Seed Bank of UAWC is one of the most important pioneering initiatives in Palestine to protect agricultural biodiversity. UAWC established it more than 20 years ago with the aim of collecting, preserving and developing Palestinian local varieties that are adapted to local environmental conditions, and are characterized by their high resistance to diseases and their ability to withstand harsh climatic conditions. This seed bank includes more than 50 varieties of vegetables and other plant species, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, zucchini, and many other crops that formed the basis of Palestinian food security across generations.
The Local Seed Bank works to enhance the independence of Palestinian farmers and reduce their dependence on imported commercial seeds, thus enhancing their resilience and preserving the Palestinian agricultural heritage in the face of the occupation’s attempts to confiscate and control resources. The seed bank is part of UAWC’s overall strategy to address economic and political challenges and support sustainable agriculture that builds on the Palestinian farmer’s heritage and experience in cultivating land and caring for crops.
UAWC also expressed its gratitude to its international partners, in particular Nordic Seed Bank, for the support that enabled the successful completion of this step. UAWC affirmed its readiness to continue cooperation in future projects aimed at protecting the Palestinian agricultural heritage and strengthening food sovereignty.
This achievement represents an important step towards protecting the Palestinian agricultural identity and strengthening Palestine’s presence in international efforts to protect natural resources and traditional local crops and reflects the determination of the Palestinian people to preserve their agricultural sovereignty and natural wealth despite the attempts of the occupation to confiscate them.
