“Control oil, and you control nations; control food and you control people.” This aphorism, often attributed to Henry Kissinger, recently came to mind when I saw first hand how both strategies have been effectively deployed in Israel’s occupation and blockade of Gaza.
As a researcher of conflict-affected food and farming systems I was in the encircled territory, some 50km by 10km and home to 2.2 million Palestinians, to explore how it could recover its food sovereignty. I was particularly struck by the enduring food traditions associated with its rich trading history, and how local varieties, inextricably linked to life in Gaza, are under threat.
As the most recent Israeli war on Gaza in August fades from view, it’s worth looking at how recent history has shaped the territorial food system and stretched it to breaking point.
