ACS offers solidarity with Palestinian farmers in the West-Bank

 PADUA -- OliviCultura di Pace is a grassroots joint-initiative between the Associazione di Cooperazione e Solidarietà (ACS), a secular and not-for-profit organisation based in Padua, and the Arab Agronomists Association (AAA). A multi-organisational and cross-border alliance of agronomists, producers and local authorities, the campaign unites several Palestinian and Italian NGOs, cooperatives and civil society groups under a shared banner of institutional advocacy and international solidarity. 

 An organisation dedicated to supporting local institutions through integrated agricultural projects, ACS has strong ties within the Middle East and has been operating within communities suffering from economic instability and active conflict for over 20 years, in areas throughout Haiti, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kurdistan and Rwanda. At present, the organisation has active projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Palestine dedicated to supporting the emancipation and self-determination of at-risk communities in active conflict zones. This campaign is part of a broader collaboration between ACS and Italian organizations, including the DADAxCONGO initiative, which seeks to raise awareness of the atrocities still being committed against Congolese women, as well as their systemic marginalization and “otherisation” within global media discourse. 

 Launched in collaboration with the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) and the Palestine Fair Trade Association (PFTA), this initiative coincides with the annual olive harvest and focuses its efforts within agricultural communities at the highest risk of violence and exposure to military operations, including Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron and Salfit. This recent initiative strives to support the agricultural communities most vulnerable to food insecurity, displacement and conflict‑related disruptions by strengthening ties between Mediterranean and Palestinian olive-growers through proposed “twinning” initiatives.    

 In the words of Nicola Manno, agroecologist and development worker at ACS: “This is not only about fair trade—it’s about a concrete commitment to the self-determination of Palestinian communities.”

 ACS’ commitment to supporting the sustainable development of Palestinian agriculture is reflected in its ongoing initiatives and international partnerships, including the introduction of emergency and sustainable development projects, such as microcredit programs, restoration interventions and solidarity initiatives designed to financially support rural communities. Partner organisations, including the AAA and Arab Center for Agricultural Development, continue to provide vital technical assistance to isolated rural communities, including agroecological training, field monitoring and access to international support networks. 

 At a time when prospects for a long-term ceasefire remain bleak amid escalating violence and retaliation which disproportionately impact the civilian population, this campaign seeks to reinforce a growing network of international solidarity by actively involving individuals, associations, and communities. Italy has already demonstrated its commitment to addressing the Palestinian humanitarian crisis, and this initiative serves to further this support by focusing on a symbol of profound cultural and political significance. In Palestine, olive trees represent far more than an agricultural resource. A central motif in Palestinian cultural expression and political discourse, olive trees are profoundly rooted in the heritage of these communities and symbolise enduring hopes for restoration and peace.

 As stated by the Vice President of the Arab Agronomists Association, the olive tree “represents political, economic, socio-cultural, and environmental peace — and for that reason, it must be protected.”

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