The context
The Gaza Strip is an unstable area with recurrent agricultural problems. Food prices are highly volatile due to a lack of storage capacity for basic commodities such as potatoes, which are in short supply from August to November. The risk of food insecurity is high and, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau, nearly 1.5 million people, or 60% of households, are moderately or severely food insecure. Mohammad is a farmer who has worked on the same farm in the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza for over 20 years. Like other local farmers, he was forced to sell his produce quickly and at fire-sale prices because he had no place to store his crops.
FAO's multi-donor programme to support agro-entrepreneurship reflects FAO's desire to increase the competitiveness of the agri-food sector in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. These activities aim to facilitate producers' access to infrastructure, technologies and inputs to develop their businesses. In the case of this programme, the logistical problems of storage are targeted to reduce food insecurity by increasing production capacity and facilitating access to markets. FAO provides investment support to rural producers and entrepreneurs whose activities promote social inclusion, respect for the environment and profitability.
The project
In 2018, Mohammad applied and was selected for an investment grant. The funds received in 2020 for Mohammad's project enabled him to invest in essential equipment to store his production. He was able to buy a 720 cubic metre cold room, a forklift truck, crates and a 310 square metre steel shed.
Like him, more than 400 entrepreneurs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have received investment grants. The aim is to stabilise agricultural production and prices in this volatile region.
The FAO is working in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, with $30 million in funding from Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the European Union.
The results
With FAO's support, Mohammad has been able to develop his farm by diversifying his crops. He has tripled his annual income and is able to buy agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertiliser. He is able to pay in cash and is therefore debt-free. He uses his storage space for basic agricultural commodities to overcome shortages between harvests, thereby stabilising prices. In his community, this helps to keep potato prices affordable.
The development of his farm has also created jobs, with four full-time employees and up to fifty seasonal workers during the main sowing and harvesting periods.
A little extra
The impact of the programme is not limited to the 400 entrepreneurs supported by FAO. It helps create jobs in the agricultural sector and addresses food insecurity among Palestinians by reducing shortages between harvests.
Sources: https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/fr/c/1604670/
This initiative sheet was written by Léa GIUSTINIANI, student at Bordeaux Sciences Agro - January 2023
Last modification : 30 Dec 2023.
FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts and actions in the fight against hunger. Its goal is to achieve food and nutrition security for all. With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union - FAO works in 130 countries around the world. We believe we all have a role to play in eradicating hunger.