Rebuilding food production in Gaza is proving an uphill battle as farmers scramble to cultivate shrinking patches of usable land amid devastating shortages of water, fertiliser, and pesticides. Over 80% of greenhouses have been destroyed, forcing agricultural workers to clear debris and nurture crops under extreme conditions. The risks extend beyond hardship, as simply tending to plants in the open carries life-threatening dangers. Persistence and resourcefulness remain the only tools against a collapsing food system.
Efforts to rebuild domestic food production face severe challenges and have come at deadly costAs Gaza’s population of 2.1 million has been hemmed into an ever smaller slice of the territory, farmers are using every last remaining patch of unspoiled earth, no matter how tiny, in their struggle to survive.With severe shortages of water, fertiliser and pesticide, and with more than 80% of greenhouses ruined, it has taken inventiveness and determination to clear land of debris and coax new seedlings into life. Moreover, venturing out into the open to tend to plants can be deadly. Continue reading...
