1) Impact of COVID-19 outbreak in NENA region
The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region is facing key challenges including ending poverty and hunger as well as responding to climate change and the conservation of natural resources to avoid further degradation.
How does/did the COVID-19 outbreak exacerbate the challenges faced by small-scale family farmers (SSFF)?
COVID-19 hit the Palestinian areas gradually starting from March 2020. The number of people who tested positive so far are 28,500 persons all over the West Bank. This had led to numerous restrictions imposed by the Palestinian Authority in order to contain the spread of the disease.
Palestinian small-scale family farmers, who already suffer from the presence of Israeli settlements, lack of water and occasional transportation problems, have been affected in different ways during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The closure of vegetable markets has limited the ability of SSFF to sell their produce.
- The decline of people’s purchase power has also created another obstacle for SSFF to sell their produce in their local communities.
- SSFF have faced difficulties in purchasing the agricultural input, such as seedlings, seeds, fertilizers etc. due to the closure of the suppliers.
- Consumption habits have made a shift from fresh vegetables and fruits to long shelf life products; which is the norm during disasters as people tend to stock food that can be preserved for a long time.
And what are the main areas of interventions that could efficiently build SSFF resilience and ensure sustainable livelihood?
- Establish local marketing channels in cooperation between farmers and the local communities represented by governmental or civil entities. This will ensure better marketing in hard times.
- Support the SSFF to produce by-products from their produce to increase the shelf life and diversify the marketing options. Farmers who produce strawberries, for example, should be supported to produce jam or dried strawberries, if need be. This will help them avoid loss in occasions such as pandemics and other disaster-like situations.
- Support the SSFF to produce essential agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seedlings.
- And most importantly, restrict the selling of Israeli products, mainly vegetables and fruits into the Palestinian markets. There are various signed agreements between the Israelis and Palestinians such as the Paris treaty that enforces Palestinian markets to sell Israeli fruits and vegetables first which has left no market for the Palestinians to sell their products.
Can you share success examples in the region?
Some bee breeding farmers in the north of Palestine have managed to sell their produce through “express-delivery companies” which are active in Palestine. Such service providers were allowed to move between cities and villages during the outbreak of COVID-19. The farmers established some marketing pages on social media and managed to sell their produce on line. Their success was possible because they produce a long-shelf life product. In the case of farmers producing fresh vegetables and fruits, such a success wouldn’t be possible due to the short life span of the products.
2) Sustainable transition towards more sustainable agri-food systems
In order to meet the needs of a growing population, it is essential to accelerate the transition toward more sustainable food systems with special consideration to the degradation of the already scarce natural resources and climate change impact in the NENA region.
Can you give brief description of key CC impact factors on productivity of main farming systems in the region?
Climate change has already affected the productivity and diversification of crops in Palestine. With the increasing levels of drought, many Palestinian farmers have shifted from producing crops that consume big amounts of water to crops consuming less amounts. This situation has resulted in increasing the supply of some crops while decreasing the supply of other crops. Farmers in the Jordan Valley used to produce lots of citrus and bananas, which consume big amounts of water. In the past decade, they have switched to planting palm trees which consume less water. Such a context has led to a wide area of monoculture which has a negative impact on the soil on the long run.
How can innovation and digital solutions accelerate such transition of the agi-food systems?
Digital solutions are now considered the next level of agricultural extension services. There are a few international experiences that have provided comprehensive support to farmers through smartphone applications. Such technology can be utilized to:
- Provide expert advice to farmers at a very low cost.
- Exchange experience among farmers from different locations.
- Provide early-alarm systems to warn the farmers against potential weather threats.
How can the UNDFF provide tools and measures that help SSFF facing the climate and socioeconomic challenges?
- Support youth and women to be involved in agriculture and enhance gender equality.
- Provide support to develop the capacities of SSFF in terms of production and marketing.
- Provide support to specialized actors from private or public sectors to make use of technology and innovation for the benefit of SSFF.
- Support CBOs and NGOs to practice pressure on decision-makers to improve the enabling environment for small-scale farmers in terms of laws, taxes, insurance, compensation, and comprehensive governmental support.
- Support exporting Palestinian products regionally and internationally
Rulla Sarras