Presentation short abstract

This paper argues that urban agriculture (UA) in Palestine is more than food production; it is a space of solidarity and resistance under colonial control. Through an urban political ecology lens, UA emerges as survival, self-reliance, and grassroots food sovereignty.

Presentation long abstract

This paper examines how urban agriculture (UA) in Palestinian cities functions as a space of social solidarity and a mechanism for achieving food sovereignty, using the lens of urban political ecology. In a context marked by Israeli settler colonialism, spatial fragmentation, and militarized urban planning, UA emerges not as a technical solution to food insecurity but as a socially and politically embedded form of everyday resistance. The paper highlights how the closure of Palestinian cities during wars and popular uprisings, such as military checkpoints, curfews, and blockades, severs food supply chains between rural and urban areas, threatening urban food security and leading to sharp increases in food and vegetable prices, particularly in vulnerable neighborhoods and refugee camps. In such contexts, UA becomes a local strategy to build self-reliance and reduce dependence on politically controlled markets.

The paper draws on the experience of the Second Intifada (2000–2005) as a pivotal moment, during which urban agriculture supported networks of popular solidarity. Families, neighbors, and entire communities engaged in collective food production as a strategy of survival under siege. These practices were not merely economic responses but forms of social infrastructure that sustained life amid political violence and urban closure. Despite its importance, urban agriculture in Palestine remains institutionally marginalized and widely perceived as an informal sector. This reflects a broader governance failure and a top-down planning model that excludes grassroots solutions. The paper thus advocates for bottom-up, community-driven planning approaches that recognize and integrate UA into urban policy and resilience frameworks.