Envisioning perennial agroecosystems in Palestine

Abstract

Climatic change will seriously impact Mediterranean areas. Palestine, which has given forth annual grain based agriculture, is particularly vulnerable given its political and economic situation. Research is needed to build climate adaptation and resilience into agroecosystems within the same landscape that gave forth agriculture. A primary step in achieving that adaptation is to develop polycultures composed of perennial crops to protect and rebuild the soil. Our preliminary research shows that agrobiodiversity and genetic material for this deep adaptation is already present within the landscape, and if developed could produce the new crops used to build perennial polycultures.