Arts and Seeds - Palestine Heirloom Seed Library

   Vivien Sansour is behind the empowering project of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. She is originally from Beit Jala and an anthropologist who has had a love for nature since an early age. After learning about the food and cultural identities in multiple locations around the world, Vivien was determined to address a growing concern in Palestine. That is the loss of land, the extinction of native crops and the cultural impasse amongst Palestinians and decades of settler colonialism. This is when she started the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library (2014) and the “Traveling Kitchen” project that seeks to preserve and promote traditional and threatened seed varieties, traditional Palestinian farming practices, and the cultural stories and identities associated with them.

   Vivien’s mission is to bring those seed varieties and traditional knowledge on farming back to our everyday life to be able to taste the ancient flavours, learn about our culinary heritage and empower us to reclaim and recover our pride in native crops and way of life. From the native Jadu’I watermelon seeds of Jenin to those of the white cucumber of Battir, Vivien has unearthed seeds that were facing the threat of extinction. This has given us new meanings and connections to our identity and sense of belonging.

   The library is based in the Battir, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Bethlehem. The library provide a platform for farmers as well as artists and journalists to engage with each other on the politics of food and cultural heritage, creating networks of collaboration, inspiration and reclaiming a sense of identity. Arts and Seeds, the physical space that hosts the seed library is worth a visit to learn about traditional farming, indigenous varieties and an invitation to reassess our relationship with the land. Furthermore, the Library has launched a global platform for conversations about biocultural heritage. Its creative “Traveling Kitchen” is a mobile venue for social engagement in different communities, promoting cultural preservation through food choices. Keep an eye on Vivien’s equally enchanting writings online that inspire and incite positive change and reclamation of pride and dignity in our heritage.