Displaced Gaza agronomist operates local seed bank to support farming and food security

The short version

• Agronomist Salama Ayesh Muhanna and his daughter Hanadi have rebuilt Gaza's sole seed bank from a displacement camp after their original facility in al-Qarara was destroyed.
• The initiative collects and shares drought- and pest-resistant local seeds, aiding about 200 farmers who return matching seed quantities following their harvests.
• The project seeks to bolster local food independence as an estimated 1.2 million Gazans face acute food insecurity alongside blockades on agricultural imports.
• Long-term stability remains hindered by unexploded ordnance, water shortages, soil degradation, and rising temperatures that damage stored seeds.

Key facts

• The Al-Qarara Seed Bank, originally founded in 2017, was destroyed earlier in the conflict, prompting its founders to restart operations on a 200-meter plot in Deir al-Balah.[The Guardian]
• The initiative has accumulated roughly 2.5 tonnes of seeds across 28 indigenous varieties, down from 42 varieties preserved before the war.[The Guardian]
• Supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the project has supplied non-GMO seeds—such as wheat, okra, and spinach—to approximately 200 local farmers.[The Guardian]
• According to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report, at least 1.2 million individuals in Gaza are currently experiencing acute food insecurity.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Seeds of hope: how a local farming project is offering a lifeline to GazaThe Guardian - World