UAWC 2011

Situation in Palestine Population of Palestine end of 2007 was 3.761 million of which

62.2% are living in the WB and 37.8% are living in GS. The total Area of Palestine is 6.023 million Dunum. 5.660

million Dunums in WB and 0.363 million Dunums in GS. The agricultural land is 1.835 million Dunums of which 90.1%

in WB and 9.1% in GS 85.7% of the agricultural lands are rain fed In GS 24% of its territory is for used for security zone and thus

no one is allowed in it 62.2% of agricultural lands are planted with trees such as olive

trees, citrus trees, almonds, etc

Importance of Agriculture in WB & GS

Food security Jobs & income provider Contribution to export Environmental protection Protection of Land from Confiscation &

Settlements Building Protection of Entitlements to water resources &

use

Difficulties Facing the Agricultural Sector

Control of the Israeli occupation on natural resources.

Control of the Israeli occupation over ports, airports and other crossing point.

Marketing problems such as lack of production technology, lack of Human resources with proper training etc…

Decrease in rain fall & increase in temperatures. Lack of control on water resources.

Constraints, Marginalization & Distortion Aspects

Occupational related actions: Israeli attack (Gaza), Closures. Prohibition & restrictions imposed on movements , Confiscation of land and water resources for security purposes, Damaging and uprooting orchards,

Construction of Apartheid wall, and by pass roads.

Poor Natural recourse base: Increased competition over limited agricultural land and water, Urbanization and Random expansion at the expense of the agricultural lands

Technical & Institutional constraints: Limited research & experimental facilities, Obstacles facing extension, veteran services and plant protection, Lack of focused training & capacity building, Insufficient involvement of the private sector, Week farmers’ organization

Socio-economical constraints: Small & fragmented agricultural holdings, Low returns & profitability on some sub sectors

Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)

UAWC was established in 1986 in response to the vulnerable socio-political circumstance of farmers that resulted from occupation policies in confiscating lands and water in the early eighties and therefore directly harmed the interests of farmers and Palestinians.

UAWC Vision

Food secure Palestinian society has a social justice, is attached to its land and live in a free and democratic Palestinian state, enjoys sovereignty over its resources, and the farmer contributes actively in all of life aspects

UAWC Mission Enable small farmers and their families and strengthen

the resilience of farmers on their land in a frame of agricultural and public development

. The Union was founded as a non-profit organization by a

group of volunteers and agronomists. The Union in its early days depended on volunteers completely in addition to forming agricultural committees in the WB and GS to set the priorities of farmers and help the Union in implementing its programs and community activities.

Strategic Objective 1: To improve the standard of living of small farmers and strengthen the resilience of farmer on his land

                  

• Improving the productivity ( quality and quantity)

• Building the capacities of farmers to reach local and foreign markets

• Building administrative and technical capacities to manage resources effectively and exploit market opportunities

• Increasing effective access to markets, improve marketing capabilities for the farmer.

• Rehabilitation of threatened lands, marginalized and destroyed by the occupation

• Re-rehabilitation of water sources in the threatened and marginalized areas

• Improve the production and provision of local seed

Strategic Objective 2: Protect the farmers rights and activating their national role

*Development and application of defense and advocate mechanism against the policy of the occupation of closed areas (freedom of movement and access)

*Development and application of defense and advocate mechanism for the right to use agricultural production resources ( available lands, the use of available water, maintaining the genetic origins)

*General awareness building among small-scale farmers and the public towards the farmers rights *To develop agricultural policies that advocate for the rights of farmers lobby

Strategic Objective 3: To strengthen the Union's capacity to respond to emergencies and for different variables and instability (changes of climate, natural disaster, the occupation ....)

                  Development and application of response mechanism in two cases: a rapid response in

cases of relief, and effective response in emergency situations in the ranks of small affected farmers (not-immediate; more long-standing emergencies)

Networking and relationships of local and international (including distributed financial resources)

Strategic Objective 4: To strengthen the the Union's sustainability and its administrative and financial effectiveness, and contribution in national issues

Develop and implement strategies and investment plans and mobilize financing (plans to

reduce reliance on external financing, feasibility studies and investment plans with assets or income-generating projects of the Union, plans to run income - generating projects)

Activation of the masses coalitions at the local level and external

Management of administrative and financial policies effectively and with minimal costs: formulation and application and reporting

Management of public relations , local and international: the development of strategies and implementation plans

Effective program management: program design, annual planning, implementation and review of reporting programs by three-year plan

Management of a strong relationship with the agricultural committees: activating their role

UAWC Networks UAWC is a member of:• The Palestinian NGOs Network• The Palestinian Olive Oil Council• The Palestinian Grape Council• The Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network• The Palestinian Fair Trade Network• The National Council for Resisting Genetically Modified Organisms• The National Campaign for Resisting the Apartheid Wall, • The National Campaign for Boycotting Israeli Products• The Palestinian Surveillance Center• Agricultural coordination committees in the Palestinian governorates• Member of General Assembly of APF

UAWC programs & projects Agricultural services program. Advocacy program for farmer’s rights. Emergencies programs. Enabling Women programs. Organizing financial resources for the Union’s

Programs. Income generating programs (Marketing

Projects).

Opening Road Water wells

Rehabilitating landCollecting water pools for irrigation

Fair Trade UAWC have long been supporting and helping

farmers to understand what fair trade is and what it does for them. UAWC has started along with other local NGO’s - PFTN - Palestinian Fairtrade Network and several conventions have been held.

UAWC also got FLO certification in order to improve the income for marginalized olive oil producers. It certified last year around 180 farmers and will certify and additional 120 farmers MGO also became FLO certified as a filling station and as an exporter for olive oil

Olive Oil Marketing Project

UAWC started exporting olive oil outside Palestine in the early 90’s.

We started with amounts of around 100 liters and now we are exporting between 100 to 120 tons. We are aiming to market more.

Our main objective is to increase the income for the people living in rural areas & to create jobs for them.

Olive Oil

The Olive Oil project is divided into two stages:

1. Extension Programs (UAWC)

2. Marketing Program (MGO)

Extension Programs In order to get high quality olive oil, we do

extension programs for farmers and press mill operators

The extension programs are divided into two categories Theoretical trainings Practical trainings

Training

Training farmers

Training press mill operators

Planting, Pruning & Plowing

Planting olive trees in empty fields.

Pruning the trees & plowing the fields before harvesting season.

Harvesting Olive oil is harvested between the months of October

& December. Everyone participates in the picking of olive oil,

adults and children. The olives are hand picked. The olive oil extracted is natural extra virgin and

virgin.

Olive Harvesting (a family affair)

Transporting & pressing the olives

Olives directly after being picked and put in plastic boxes they are transported to the press mills for pressing

In the press mill Olives on the belt

for pressing

Fresh olive oil

Storing the olive oil The oil is stored in stainless steel tanks. Before & during storage the oil is tested several

times. Organoleptic and lab testing.

Bottling Before the bottling process the oil is tested

for the last time The oil is filtered, bottled and labeled. The labeled bottles go for inspection

before being put in cartons and onto pallets

StepsFiltering Filling Capping

LabelingInspecting Shipping

Olive Oil Awards UAWC won 5 olive oil Awards since 2008:

1. The Golden Olive Award held in Palestine 2008 , 2009 & 2010

2. The’Orciolo d’Oro held in Italy3. 2nd place winner in the olive oil competition in

Amman Jordan

Our Partners Le Philistin - www.philistin.fr Claro fair trade - www.claro.ch Oxfam Wereldwinkels - www.oww.be Zaytoun - www.zaytoun.org Alter Trade Japan - www.altertrade.co.jp Daichi Co - www.daichi.or.jp Alternative People’s Network for Peace

and Life.  Korea - http://www.dure.coop