Statement in Solidarity with Palestine
As an organization with deep-rooted values in justice, food security, decolonization and empowerment, LUSH Valley Food Action Society cannot stay silent regarding the ongoing man-made famine in Gaza. We are adding our voice to the National Farmers Union call, which affirms the rights of Palestinian people to sovereignty, including food sovereignty, in their homelands. We also call for an end to the siege on Gaza and for a lasting ceasefire in Israel-Gaza.
At this time, Israel is using access to food as a weapon of genocide against Palestinians. Farmers and food processors in the region are being targeted to undermine food supply to the general public. The Israeli government has conducted deliberate assaults on agricultural and fishing infrastructure, as well as the destruction of and abrupt severing of access to Palestinian agricultural lands.
These strategic acts of genocide are threatening millions of Palestinians with starvation and contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory. The right to food is a fundamental human right.
Further, we call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the violence and the return of hostages and prisoners, as precursors to a just political process that will enable sustainable peace and security and build a basis for lasting food security.
We lend our voice to other food security groups, including La Via Campesina, Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable and the National Farmers Union who have called for a similar cease to the atrocities.
Our Calls to Action:
We call on:
- The Canadian government to demand an immediate ceasefire and the full lifting of the blockade to allow humanitarian aid to flow freely and safely into Gaza.
- The international community to intervene to uphold international law, investigate war crimes, and hold the Israeli government accountable for the use of starvation and collective punishment.
- Our members and allies to amplify this message, engage in advocacy, and direct resources to grassroots Palestinian relief organizations working on the frontlines of this crisis.
- Media and civil society to center Palestinian voices and experiences and challenge narratives that obscure or justify atrocity.
FAQ
“Why is LUSH Speaking out now?”
As a food security organization rooted in food justice, we cannot stay silent while millions face starvation. Canada is complicit in what is happening in Palestine: our financial institutions are funding weapons used against Palestinians and our government has been silent on these atrocities committed by the Israeli government’s blocking of humanitarian aid. Innocent people are starving.
As an organization committed to decolonization, LUSH Valley also sees this crisis as part of broader global patterns of colonization and forced displacement, including those experienced here on Indigenous lands in Canada.
“This is too political for a food organization.”
Food is political. Access to food is shaped by systems of power, including war, occupation, and colonization. Our work is rooted in food justice, which means standing against the use of food as a weapon and speaking up when the right to food is being denied.
As with past famines (e.g., in Ethiopia or Yemen), silence would be complicity.
“Why single out Israel? What about Hamas?””
We condemn violence against all civilians. Our focus here is on state actions, because states are bound by international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions. Israel is currently imposing a siege that denies food, water, and medical care to 2 million people.
These actions are a violation of international law.
“Criticizing Israel is antisemitic.”
Criticism of a government’s actions is not the same as hate towards a people. Many Jewish organizations and individuals around the world — including Jewish Voice for Peace and Independent Jewish Voices Canada — have also condemned Israel’s siege on Gaza.
We are standing for human rights, not against a religion or ethnicity.
“You don’t have the facts — there’s disinformation on both sides.”
Our statement is based on widely documented reports from the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and on-the-ground NGOs. Israel’s own officials have made statements affirming the intentional restriction of food to Gaza. This is not based on rumor — it is a documented pattern.
“Stay in your lane. You’re about food boxes in Canada, not global politics.”
Food sovereignty is a global issue. As a food justice organization, we draw connections between local and global struggles. Colonialism, displacement, and militarized borders impact food access in many regions — from Palestine to Indigenous lands in Canada.
Food justice doesn’t stop at the border.
“What about other conflicts — why not speak out on all of them?”
We speak where our values and mandate intersect most directly. The deliberate targeting of food systems in Gaza is both a humanitarian and food justice issue. That’s why we are compelled to respond. Other crises matter too — and we support movements that do speak out on those.
We act where our voice and expertise matter most.
“What are you trying to accomplish with this statement?”
We are using our voice to call attention to the deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war and to stand in solidarity with those resisting it. As a food justice organization, we believe that access to food is a fundamental human right. By naming the situation in Gaza — where food systems are being intentionally destroyed — we are upholding the values that guide our work locally and globally.
