PLANTS ARE POLITICAL on the Sweetness of Watermelon and Prickly Pear S1:3

Dec 25, 2025

Aya Gazawi Faour, co-founder of Olive Odyssey and expert in Palestinian foodways, dives into the significance of indigenous plants like watermelon and prickly pear. She reveals how watermelon became a symbol of resistance post-1967 and discusses the prickly pear's journey from Mexico, serving vital roles in protection and cultural heritage. Aya emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with local plants as a form of resistance and community building, encouraging listeners to support Palestinian growers and their enduring traditions.

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INSIGHT

Watermelon As Covert National Symbol

Watermelon became a covert symbol for Palestine when the flag was banned after 1967.
People used watermelon colors in clothes and protests to express love for land and resistance.

INSIGHT

Plants In Decolonization And Food Sovereignty

An agricultural movement focused on food sovereignty is emerging as a form of resistance in Palestine.
Plants serve as tools for decolonization, offering food, symbols, and emotional connection to land.

ANECDOTE

Prickly Pear's Arrival And Village Role

Prickly pear was introduced to Palestine from Mexico and used for dyeing fabric with an insect-derived color.
Villages planted prickly pear as living fences, and their presence now marks many destroyed Palestinian villages.

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“Connection to the land and knowing the plants that surround you and knowing what food your ancestor ate and trying to go back there is probably one of the most important things that we can do as resistance today.” - Aya Gazawi Faour

In For The Wild’s series in collaboration with Olive Oddessey, we hear from their co-founder, Aya Gazawi Faour, who shares about plants indigenous to the Palestinian landscape and their deep ties to culture, resistance, and enduring lifeways.

In this concluding episode, Aya shares about both the symbols and material history of watermelon and prickly pear in Palestine, emphasizing the history of the plants as integral to their current uses. From reminders of resilience and patience to subtle efforts of resistance, plants can be helpful teachers on our paths towards liberation, and this episode leaves us with the sweet promise of freedom and liberation to come.

Let this conversation be an invitation to look more closely at the lands and living beings of Palestine. If Aya’s stories moved you, take the next step: learn from the farmers and stewards keeping these lifeways alive. Explore the work of Palestinian growers, deepen your understanding of their traditions, and support their harvests through Olive Odyssey. Every gesture of connection helps nourish a culture, a landscape, and a people rooted in resilience.

Olive Odyssey brings together farmers from across Palestine with a shared purpose: to tell the story of the Palestinian people through the food they produce. Their mission is simple yet powerful — each bottle reflects a deep connection to the land and a commitment to sustainable, community-centered practices. To learn more about the farmers, their methods, and to source olive oil and recipes, visit https://oliveodyssey.com.

Learn more about this episode by visiting https://www.forthewild.world

Plants Are Political is based on Olive Odyssey’s series by the same name.

Learn more at https://www.forthewild.world

Credits
Music for this episode was composed by Doe Paoro from her album “Living Through Collapse.” For The Wild is created by Ayana Young, Erica, Ekrem, Julia Jackson, and Victoria Pham.

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