Precision Agriculture (PA) is a whole-farm management approach using innovative technologies such as ICT, satellite positioning (GNSS) data, remote sensing, proximal data gathering, etc. These technologies have the goal of optimizing returns on inputs whilst potentially reducing environmental impacts.Moreover, the agricultural sector is an important driver in the Palestinian economy since it creates job opportunities in the local Palestinian market. .
However, growth in other sectors such as services, construction, and information technology led to a decline in the agricultural sector’s contribution to GDP over the years. Furthermore, Climate change and harsh weather conditions have also resulted in fluctuations in the production of some of the main Palestinian agro products such as olives, olive oil, and vegetables. The agricultural sector and its activities show that the sector is facing many challenges and obstacles. The political conflict in Palestine is the most critical of these challenges, characterized by the Israeli practices of land confiscation, control over natural resources especially water, and restrictions on the mobility of products between Palestinian areas on one hand; and with international markets on the other, thus increasing the cost of agro production and marketing. Climate change has also been a major issue challenging the agricultural sector in Palestine, and directly affecting agricultural production, mainly due to changes and fluctuations in rainfall quantities, and the disintegration of agricultural holdings reducing their productivity, efficiency and profitability. These issues have jointly increased the risk of investment in the agricultural sector and have led many to shift their economic activities away from this sector.
The protection and development of the agriculture sector is a priority at the governmental and educational level. There is a need to increase and encouraging research in the different fields of agriculture, develop agricultural infrastructure, encourage the use of best practices in terms of water use, and encourage the application of smart or precise agriculture in order to increase the benefit values of unit of water or land. The current proposed project will offer the knowledge, science, and experience from other participant’s countries as well as transfer these new technologies and solutions about precise agriculture to Palestine
