From Control to Annihilation: Food, Education, & Palestine's Destruction

This talk examines the long-term targeting of food and education systems in Gaza as intertwined means of sustaining Palestinian life, and argues that what has unfolded since October 2023 represents a profound shift from prolonged control and weakening to the systematic annihilation of these systems. Situating Gaza within a settler colonial framework, the talk traces how agriculture, markets, universities, and knowledge institutions were historically constrained through policies of restriction and siege, before escalating into large-scale destruction after October 2023. Drawing on food-system assessments, educational disruption data, and community-based examples, the talk also highlights long-standing and ongoing forms of Palestinian resilience that continue to sustain life and learning under siege.

Location: SFU Downtown Campus | Harbour Centre Room 2270

Dr. Ahmed Abu Shaban's research focuses on food systems, climate resilience, and market development, particularly in communities affected by conflict. He examines how informal food networks, traditional agricultural practices, and gender-inclusive policies contribute to food security and economic stability. His research also explores sustainable farming methods, circular economies, and climate adaptation strategies, integrating data-driven analysis and policy research to strengthen food systems.

He is currently working on projects that assess the resilience of Gaza’s food system, explore the role of indigenous farming knowledge in climate adaptation, and develop crisis-resilient policies for food production and distribution. He also conducts market system analyses to create economic strategies that support food sovereignty and long-term sustainability.

Dr. Tammara Soma holds a Ph.D. in Planning (2018) from the University of Toronto and is the Research Director and Co-Founder of the Food Systems Lab. She is an Associate Professor at the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University where she conducts research on issues pertaining to food system planning, Indigenous food sovereignty, food loss and waste, food systems resiliency and the circular food economy. Prior to SFU, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto, and the Food Equity Coordinator at New College (University of Toronto). Her dissertation investigated the factors that influence urban household food consumption and food wasting practices in Indonesia, and the ways in which food systems consideration can improve urban planning decision-making. She has published her work in various planning and environmental journals such as the Journal of American Planning Association, Journal of Planning and Education Research, International Planning Studies, Local Environment, Recycling Conservation and Resources, Journal of Agriculture, Food System and Community Development, Agriculture and Human Values and more. She is a co-editor with C. Reynolds, J. Lazell, and C. Spring of the Routledge Handbook of Food Waste. Beyond academic publications, she has also written for Al Jazeera, Huffington Post, Policy Options, The Conversation, and is frequently interviewed by media such as the BBC, Global News, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, CBC, The Guardian and more. During her PhD, she was selected as a 2014 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Doctoral Scholar, a Joseph Armand Bombardier SSHRC CGS Doctoral Fellow, an International Development Research Centre Doctoral Award recipient, and a SSHRC Top 5 Storyteller.

This lecture is part of CCMS' Signature Lecture Series "The Planetary Multi-Crisis: Struggles, Responses, and Transformations from Muslim Societies." The lecture series intends to platform scholars who engage with questions about the complex interplay between Muslim societies and networks (in their diverse forms and locations) and global crises, past and present.

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