Palestinizing Development

Main focus of our work is an empirically-based research on two agricultural cooperatives in the occupied Palestinian territories. By examining their modes of production, division of labour, distribution of goods, and social cohesion from a gender-critical perspective, the potentials as well as the limitations of these agricultural cooperatives will be identified and analysed.
The background to this research is the deep socio-economic crisis facing agriculture in Palestine, caused by the Israeli occupation. Attempts by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and international donors to tackle the crisis by establishing industrial farming have not borne fruit. Moreover, the focus on agribusiness has marginalised existing agricultural cooperatives.

Our research is based on the assumption that agricultural cooperatives in Palestine hold the key to a sustainable, ecologically sound, resilient mode of production. By carrying out the research process with two agricultural cooperatives, the aim is to provide empirically-based, emancipatory knowledge on alternative models of development. With that, the following outcomes will be achieved:
1. The research results can be used by the cooperatives to strengthen sustainable and resilient modes of production.
2. Existing Palestinian arguments for alternative models of development can be empirically substantiated and, hence, reformulated. Furthermore, they can be linked to concepts of food sovereignty.
3. Based on this, we can effectively intervene in and further develop academic, political, and community-based debates on alternative development and food sovereignty.