Open Letter on Agriculture in Palestine

Text:

Dear Minister Falconer,

Agriculture has long been central to livelihoods and food security in Gaza. Yet widespread

destruction of farmland, irrigation systems, and storage facilities has devastated production.

Restrictions on seed imports, the lack of locally produced fertilisers and pesticides, and soil

degradation have deepened reliance on food aid. The Israeli Government’s blockade of aid into

the region has led to widespread famine and malnutrition, with children, older people and those

with pre-existing health conditions the most affected.

The UK Government should help establish humanitarian corridors for agricultural inputs -

including seeds, fertilisers, and machinery - and strengthen local food systems to reduce

dependency and restore dignity. Soil contamination and the loss of resilient seed varieties also

require urgent assessment and restoration to safeguard future harvests and resilience.

Agriculture has always been a key source of income and employment across Palestine, with

people frequently working into older age alongside their families. Older farmers who have lived

through recurrent conflict, hold the traditional knowledge to recover the local food systems for

their communities. But access to cultivable land remains limited, with mines, rubble, and

destroyed infrastructure preventing safe farming. The UK should facilitate debris clearance and

land rehabilitation, provide basic tools and seeds to smallholder farmers, and promote shared-

resource farming models that enable collective recovery and market access.

Following the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state, restoring land access and sovereignty is

vital. Many farmers cannot reclaim or cultivate land that has been destroyed, contaminated, or

deliberately targeted and without access to the right equipment. The UK should support land

clearance and safe certification, implement soil regeneration and replanting programmes, and

advocate for farmers’ land rights as part of a recovery that leaves no one behind.

Agricultural relief must intentionally include all marginalised groups – older people, children,

women, and people with disabilities - who are essential to rebuilding Gaza’s agricultural

foundation and ensuring a sustainable, dignified future.

This letter was written alongside Age International, and we hope that you will be able to meet

with us to discuss this further. We look forward to your response.