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Israel destroys Palestine’s last surviving seed bank, echoing a colonial legacy of erasure

August 7, 2025

The Israeli military destroyed the only seed bank in the West Bank on July 31, 2025, bulldozing the Union of Agricultural Work Committees' (UAWC) seed-multiplication unit in Hebron without warning. This facility had preserved over 70 varieties of indigenous heirloom seeds, many unique to Palestine, representing both agricultural biodiversity and cultural heritage accumulated through generations of Palestinian seed saving. The destruction is part of a documented pattern where Palestinian agricultural resources, including farmland, olive groves, and seed repositories, have been systematically targeted.

Who is affected

  • Palestinian farmers and agricultural communities in the West Bank
  • Future generations of Palestinians who lose access to indigenous seed varieties
  • The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) and its initiatives
  • Palestinian communities reliant on local food systems and agricultural heritage
  • Broader Palestinian society whose cultural heritage and ecological knowledge is threatened

What action is being taken

  • International civil society groups including La Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth International are condemning the assault
  • The Irish Green Party is urging war crimes investigations at the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
  • The UAWC is publicly documenting and sharing information about the destruction through press releases and video evidence
  • Palestinian agricultural communities are attempting to preserve seeds and rebuild food systems despite systematic destruction

Why it matters

  • The seed bank contained over 70 varieties of indigenous heirloom seeds that no longer exist elsewhere in Palestine
  • Seed banks preserve not just biodiversity but cultural heritage and generational knowledge essential for food sovereignty
  • The destruction follows a documented pattern of targeting Palestinian agricultural resources, including 800,000 uprooted olive trees
  • Similar tactics have historical precedent in colonial contexts, like Native American agricultural destruction and Iraq's seed bank demolition
  • Under international law, destruction of cultural heritage and infrastructure essential to survival could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices