Saving Palestinian Seeds and Stories ^{CEFR B1}

Vivien Sansour founded the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library to preserve seeds, crop varieties and the stories that tie Palestinians to their land. Her work connects food, memory and cultural survival and began from personal memories of childhood gardens and trees. Over time the initiative attracted interest from people who felt the loss of landscapes and food traditions.

Sansour grew up in Palestine in the late 1970s under occupation. She initially enrolled in a PhD programme in Agriculture and Life Science but left to spend time with elders in Palestinian villages. She preferred learning from people who carry practical knowledge. She began collecting seeds such as carrot, beans, arugula and spinach.

The project now reaches beyond Palestine and aims to give communities autonomy over seed saving and food practices. Sansour says seeds carry history and hope; many local varieties evolved to suit dry conditions. She gives okra as an example and notes some varieties that grow without irrigation are called "ba’al." She warns that the destruction of farmland, reported by the UN for Gaza, also destroys culture, knowledge and continuity. The library is based in Battir and she reports repeated settler incursions, so she has rejected support from government institutions.