Arab Group for the Protection of Nature

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) is a deeply committed, independent, non-profit civil society organization that stands at the intersection of environmental conservation, agricultural sustainability, and social resilience across the Arab region. Established in April 2003 by a dedicated group of individuals, APN’s work is characterized by a mission that is as vital as it is challenging: to protect the environment and the natural resources of Arab countries against all hazards, with a particularly sharp focus on mitigating the destructive, long-term impacts of wars and foreign occupations.

Operating primarily from its headquarters in Amman, Jordan, APN’s mandate extends far beyond traditional conservation. It is fundamentally a movement aimed at enhancing the capacity of Arab peoples to protect, sustain, and establish sovereignty over their natural resources and food systems. This philosophical bedrock—the concept of Food Sovereignty—is what truly defines APN’s unique approach and informs its practical, on-the-ground interventions.

I. The Philosophical Core: Food Sovereignty and Resilience

For APN, the concept of Food Sovereignty is not merely an academic term; it is the ultimate objective of their work, especially in areas facing instability. Food Sovereignty is defined as the right of peoples, communities, and nations to define their own food systems, appropriate to their unique environmental, cultural, socio-economic, and political circumstances. It asserts that those who produce, distribute, and consume food should be at the heart of food systems and policies, rather than the demands of global markets and corporations.

In the context of the Arab world, particularly in conflict-affected areas, this concept takes on an additional layer of meaning: resistance and resilience. APN’s interventions are designed to secure the population’s access to healthy and nutritious food by strengthening local, self-sufficient production. By empowering local farmers and communities to maintain control over their land, water, and seeds, APN helps to:

• Prevent Displacement and Confiscation: An actively farmed plot is less vulnerable to external seizure or marginalization.
• Improve Livelihoods: Agricultural rehabilitation provides a sustainable source of income, employment, and dignity for local families.
• Ensure Nutritional Security: Local, diverse, and sustainable production provides better nutrition than dependence on volatile external aid.

This proactive approach forms the crucial link between environmental protection and human rights, demonstrating that the environment is inextricably linked to the socio-political stability and self-determination of a people.

II. Flagship Programs and On-the-Ground Impact

APN's mission is brought to life through several high-impact, long-term programs. These initiatives reflect a strategic blend of emergency response, sustainable development, and advocacy.

A. The Million Tree Campaign (Palestine)

The Million Tree Campaign (MTC) is arguably APN’s most renowned initiative and a powerful testament to the principle of resilience. Launched to combat the systematic destruction of agricultural lands and trees in Palestine, the program has become a symbol of steadfastness (sumud).

Program Details:

• Scale: APN recently marked the completion of its third million fruit tree planted and has already launched the efforts for the fourth million. This scale is achieved through strong partnerships with local Palestinian organizations, farmer associations, and funding bodies.
• Scope: The focus is on planting fruit trees—such as olives, figs, grapes, stone fruits, and citrus—which provide both long-term ecological benefits (soil conservation, biodiversity) and immediate economic returns for farming families.
• Targeted Areas: Planting is concentrated in areas most vulnerable to land confiscation, separation barriers, and settlement expansion. By securing these lands with permanent, productive crops, APN helps farmers maintain their legal and emotional connection to their property.
• Direct Impact: Beyond the staggering number of trees, the program benefits thousands of families, securing thousands of dunums (a unit of land area) of territory, and creating thousands of temporary and permanent job opportunities in the agricultural sector. The act of planting itself is a powerful communal statement of endurance.

B. Revive Gaza’s Farmland Project

In response to the recurring crises and blockades that systematically degrade agricultural capacity and food security in Gaza, APN launched the “Revive Gaza’s Farmland” project. This initiative embodies APN’s ability to conduct long-term development work even under extreme duress.

Project Components:

• Agricultural Rehabilitation: This involves providing immediate relief by distributing vegetable seedlings and essential seeds (like zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers), extending drip irrigation networks, and providing fertilizers and pest control.
• Infrastructure Restoration: The project actively rehabilitates damaged infrastructure, including greenhouses, agricultural wells, and farm ponds to collect and store crucial irrigation water.
• Diverse Livelihoods: Recognizing the multifaceted nature of food production, the project supports a variety of income-generating activities, such as rehabilitating artisanal fishing projects (providing nets and boat repairs), establishing poultry farms (distributing chickens and incubators), and distributing beehives.
• Direct-to-Farmer Support: APN focuses on procuring fresh produce directly from local farmers and distributing it to families in need, thereby supporting both the producer and the consumer simultaneously and ensuring the circulation of locally-grown food.

C. The Green Caravan Programme (Jordan)

Operating in its home base, the Green Caravan is APN's primary vehicle for implementing its sustainable development mission in Jordan, particularly in the Jordan Valley and other areas facing environmental pressures.

• Goal: To enhance the economic empowerment, food security, and water resilience of Jordanian farming communities.
• Actions: Similar to the MTC, this program involves large-scale planting of fruit trees (citrus, stone fruits, olives) with the participation of volunteers from companies, schools, and local communities. It also includes the rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructure, such as restoring and constructing wells to improve water security for farmers.

مقابلة الميادين "معا لزيتون لبنان" | Together for Lebanon’s Olives

III. Advocacy and Institutional Influence

APN’s work extends from the small farming plot to the highest levels of global environmental and food policy. A critical pillar of their mission is advocacy, which seeks to hold global actors and institutions accountable and ensure that the voices and needs of marginalized Arab communities are represented on the world stage.

Key Advocacy Areas:

• Challenging Environmental Injustice: APN continuously highlights the links between environmental degradation and political conflict. Their advocacy often focuses on the direct and indirect environmental consequences of conflict, resource appropriation, and structural inequalities.
• Influencing Global Policy: APN engages in policy-level discussions related to agriculture, environmental protection, climate change, and food security. They actively work within civil society coalitions to provide evidence-based analysis and present the priorities of the Arab region to major global bodies and conferences, pushing for policies rooted in justice and sustainability.
• Mobilizing Civil Society: The organization plays a crucial role in building the capacity and mobilizing regional civil society organizations (CSOs) to create a united front for environmental and food justice. This involves leading regional networks, conducting training, and collaborating on fact-finding missions and reports.

IV. Conclusion

With a mission firmly rooted in the twin pillars of environmental protection and food sovereignty, the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) is more than a conservation group—it is a force for resilience. By planting trees, rehabilitating farms, and passionately advocating for justice in regional and global forums, APN transforms the concepts of self-determination and environmental stewardship into tangible actions that directly support the livelihoods and dignity of Arab peoples enduring hardship. Their comprehensive strategy, which links land ownership, water access, and local food production to political resilience, serves as a powerful model for sustainable development in some of the world’s most challenging environments. The numbers—the millions of trees planted, the thousands of farmers supported—quantify their success, but the true measure of their impact lies in the enduring spirit of the communities they empower to stay on and cultivate their land.