These farmers represent the first cohort targeted under the “Safe Agriculture” initiative, which falls within the broader framework of the project titled “Building Community Resilience and Improving Livelihoods and Food Security through Safe Agricultural Practices.” The project is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and Islamic Relief France (SIF), and is implemented by An-Najah University—represented by the Energy, Water and Food Security Research Center and the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine—alongside the Palestinian Economic and Social Development Center (ESDC), in coordination with the Palestinian Standards Institution (PSI) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).

ANNU led farmer training efforts and provided agricultural tools and supplies essential for achieving PAL.G.A.P standards—a major step toward a sustainable agricultural sector. The certificate awarding ceremony, held at the Agricultural Engineers Association Hall, was attended by around 50 farmers from various northern governorates, as well as representatives from the private, civil, academic, and donor sectors. Speakers underscored the importance of adhering to agricultural standards in strengthening food security and achieving self-sufficiency.

Among the university representatives were Dr. Tawfiq Al-Qubaj and Dr. Abdel-Fattah Al-Mallah, along with agricultural engineers from the project team who led the training. Their presence reflects ANNU’s commitment to offering comprehensive support to farmers in adopting best agricultural practices.

In his remarks, Minister of Agriculture Professor Rizeq Salimiyeh emphasized that the certificates represent a milestone for sustainable agricultural development and reaffirmed the Ministry’s ongoing support for the sector. He praised the PAL.G.A.P system’s role in improving production quality and preparing farmers to adopt advanced farming methods. Minister of Industry Mr. Arafat Asfour highlighted the need for synergy between the agricultural and industrial sectors to drive sustainable economic progress, noting that PAL.G.A.P certification opens new opportunities for farmers in both local and international markets.

The event concluded with the distribution of PAL.G.A.P certificates to male and female farmers, who expressed pride in their achievements and emphasized the significance of cooperation among governmental, academic, and private sector institutions in building a strong and sustainable agricultural sector.