Palestinian Agriculture Under Threat: Italy Hosts Solidarity Event & Film Screening
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International support is crucial as Israeli actions jeopardize the fragile agricultural system in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The ongoing conflict and escalating tensions in the region are having a devastating impact on Palestinian agriculture, prompting international calls for solidarity and support. On July 31, 2025, Israeli military forces reportedly destroyed the production unit of the Palestinian Seed House in Hebron, further exacerbating the challenges faced by Palestinian farmers.These actions,coupled wiht the arrest of activists following attacks on the offices of the Palestinian agricultural institution,The Via Campesina,in early December,underscore a pattern of disruption and repression.
Vicenza to Host “Land and Freedom” Event
In response to these developments, a coalition of organizations will host “Land and Freedom. Cultivating to resist in Palestine” at the Caracol Olol Jackson in Vicenza, Italy, on Sunday, February 18, 2026, at 5 pm. The event, organized by Acampada Palestina of Piazza Biade, ACS NGO, ARI – Italian Rural Association, BDS Vicenza, Caracol Olol Jackson, Community of Vicenza for Agroecology, Rete Gas Vicentina, and Unicomondo, aims to raise awareness and foster solidarity with palestinian farmers.
“Peasant agriculture, everywhere in the world, is rooted in and relationship with the places we live in,” explained a representative of the organizing committee. “Sometimes it becomes a real form of resistance to oppression,where the right to land and to live is denied.In Palestine, cultivating means resisting – resisting ethnic cleansing, resisting illegal occupation, resisting provocations and continued violence.”
The event is deliberately scheduled to coincide with the Gold and Diamond Fair in Vicenza,a move organizers say is intended to challenge an international economic order they deem “complicit with israel,colonial and extractivist.” They aim to demonstrate the power of grassroots initiatives to support Palestinian resilience.
The program will feature a debate with Marta Fracasso (Unicomondo), Pier Francesco Pandolfi de Rinaldis (ARI – La Via Campesina), Nicola Manno (ACS NGO), Sandra Randazzo (BDS Vicenza), and a representative from AOWA – Association of Women Action, connecting live from Palestine.A solidarity dinner,organized by the Women for Palestine group,will be held at 7:30 pm,requiring reservations with a minimum contribution of 15 euros.
Documentary Film “Foragers” Highlights palestinian Resilience
following the dinner, at 8:30 pm, the documentary film Foragers (Palestine, 2022, 65′) by Jumana Manna will be screened.The film explores the impact of israeli nature protection laws on the traditional practice of harvesting wild plants in Palestine and Israel.
Filmed across the Golan Heights, the Galilee, and Jerusalem, Foragers blends fiction, documentary, and archival footage to illustrate how restrictions on collecting plants like akkoub (similar to artichoke) and zaatar (thyme) disproportionately affect Palestinians. According to the film’s synopsis, these laws are perceived by Palestinians as a means of further disconnecting them from their land, while Israeli authorities maintain they are based on scientific conservation efforts.
The film captures the cultural significance of foraging,showcasing the “love,joy and knowledge inherited in these traditions along with their resilience against a repressive law.” It ultimately questions “the politics of extinction-that is, who determines what goes extinct and what lives on.”
All proceeds from the evening will be donated to solidarity projects supporting Palestine. For further information, contact the organizers at [email protected].
