In one of the world's most challenging humanitarian settings, agriculture is proving to be far more than an economic sector. It is a safety net, a source of resilience and, increasingly, a lifeline for survival.

 

In Gaza, the results of a recent FAO programme make a compelling case: supporting farmers and herders is not secondary to humanitarian assistance. It is an essential part of it.

 

Through a total investment of USD 24 million over the past two years, FAO supported thousands of farmers and herders through cash transfers, technical assistance, animal feed, veterinary services and essential equipment.

 

The objective was not simply to provide aid, but to preserve people's ability to produce food.

 

The logic is straightforward. When a farmer loses a harvest or a herder loses livestock, it is not only the present that is affected. The ability to recover tomorrow is at stake too.

 

This is particularly important in Gaza today. In areas accessible to the population, only around 3 percent of the territory consists of agricultural land that is both accessible and undamaged. A further 24 percent is accessible but requires rehabilitation before it can return to full production. In these circumstances, protecting and restoring every available area of farmland becomes critical.

 

The figures show just how much difference this approach can make.

 

With USD 7.7 million invested in farming activities, approximately 1,700 farmers were able to restart production. Together, they are cultivating around 4,250 dunums of land and are expected to produce more than 5,000 tonnes of edible vegetables. That production alone could meet the recommended annual vegetable consumption needs of approximately 121,000 people.

 

FAO-supported farmers are present across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, with the largest concentrations in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. More than 9,500 people have also maintained a source of income through these farming activities.

 

This is what agricultural assistance can achieve in an emergency: not simply distributing resources, but helping to revive local food production in a territory where access to external supplies remains highly fragile.

 

The return on investment in the livestock sector is even more striking.

 

With USD 16.3 million allocated to herders, FAO delivered more than 7,100 tonnes of animal feed, 5,800 veterinary kits and over 2,000 mobile water tanks. Thanks to this support, 5,050 herders were able to protect their animals and more than 28,000 people preserved their primary source of livelihood.

 

Livestock assets have shown clear signs of recovery. Between November 2025 and May 2026, sheep numbers increased by 33 percent and goat populations by 8 percent.

 

Behind these percentages are families. Families that continue to have access to milk, meat, income and savings. In many rural areas of Gaza, livestock represent the most important household asset available. Protecting them means preventing a humanitarian crisis from becoming a permanent sentence to poverty.

 

Yet perhaps the most remarkable figure is the economic efficiency of the intervention.

 

For every dollar invested in livestock support, USD 2.30 in productive value was generated, representing a net return of 130 percent. At a time when humanitarian resources are increasingly stretched and crises are multiplying, this is a particularly compelling result.

 

These results challenge a widespread assumption: that agriculture must wait during emergencies. Protecting livelihoods from the outset can be just as important as delivering food assistance.

 

Because a family that continues to cultivate a field or manage a herd is receiving more than aid. It is preserving its autonomy, its dignity and its ability to face the future.

 

In a world marked by protracted conflicts, climate shocks and increasingly frequent food crises, humanitarian action must do more than save lives today. It must also protect people's ability to rebuild tomorrow.

 

Seeds, animal feed, technical assistance and access to water may appear modest tools in the face of immense human suffering. Yet these are often the very investments that determine whether families remain dependent on aid or regain the ability to stand on their own feet.

 

Agriculture is not simply about producing food. It is about protecting livelihoods, preserving the possibility of recovery and, ultimately, keeping hope alive.

 

 

Maurizio Martina is Deputy Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)