Gaza Foodways: Towards Resilient Women-led Urban Agroecological Food Systems as a Pathway to Women's Economic Empowerment
Project team
Collaborators
Palestinian Hydrology Group
Gaza-Urban & Peri-Urban Agriculture Platform
Coventry University Group
University College of Applied Sciences - Gaza
Duration of project
1 November 2021 to 31 May 2024
Funder
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC ).
Value of project
US$ 864,000
Project overview
Gaza Foodways is a transdisciplinary research collaboration that explores what a ‘just transition’ to diversified low-carbon urban food and farming systems might look like in Gaza. Together with 250 members of the Urban Women’s Agripreneur Forum (UWAF), the project aims to support a shift toward women-led agricultural research, practice and policy formulation, and advance women’s socioeconomic and political participation in food system planning, organising and resourcing in ways that support food sovereignty.
Project objectives
Objective 1: (Collaborative Working) Investigative knowledge co-creation with women-led enterprises to open up pathways for improved economic participation.
Objective 2: (Applied Research) Respect and connect layers of knowledge for adaptive co-learning between ‘food system actor-networks’ and academic institutions across Gaza to co-generate challenge-led innovations for urban agroecology.
Objective 3: (Policy Engagement) Advance alternative policy frameworks for urban food systems that respond to the needs, and amplify the voices, of women and young people.
Impact statement
1. Investigative knowledge co-creation that amplifies the voices of women-led food system actornetworks across governance arenas, with a focus on gender and generation, to support equitable resilience; co-produce 4 replicable solutions led by food system actor-networks; and create adaptive mechanisms that bridge bottom-up/top-down learning and governance mechanisms that strengthen women’s economic and political empowerment through participation in decision-making
2. Collaborative Working for authentic partnership and co-creation.The research aims to shed light on the role that connections can play in supporting food system innovations and inform the design of new public sector programs. As such, it: a) Supports applied research with real-world impacts with/for research end users that brings applied research into student learning, decision making, and policy formation; b) supports young academics from under-resourced institutions to form new collaborations within Gaza and with UK; c) Provides interdisciplinary PGR opportunities and mentoring that promotes gender equity.
3. Policy Engagement to translate research findings into effective policy guidance on inclusive and scalable processes between municipal and national structures and civil society organisations through exchanges, creative exhibitions, implementation and demonstration of four replicable and scalable research innovations (technical and social/organisational). The review of agriculture policy and national economy strategy with municipalities will include and facilitate the rights of women in the food and farming sector, involving lobbying Ministries to advocate for an enabling policy environment that provides legal coverage and protects women producers.
Outputs
1 Project website
1 Urban agroecology policy road map - policy recommendations.
1 Report
1 short film - participatory video
2 Social media platforms for shared learning
1 final event for women-led teams to showcase their innovations
4 case studies on each of the innovations
1 international webinar that amplifies the voices of participants and showcases learning.
10 stakeholder events comprising city food system actors.
2 peer reviewed
1 farmer-focused article
2 conference presentations (1 Palestine/regional + 1 UK/Europe)
1 professional diploma in Urban Agroecology for Food Sovereignty.
Visit the project pages here
