Harvesting

hope

By Jonathan Rashad

Community, tradition and climate change in The Middle East and Africa

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Al-Khalifa

Farming, pastoralist and fishing communities have shaped food systems, economies and cultures for millennia

Their knowledge and traditions are crucial to food security but are most vulnerable to environmental change.

Harvesting Hope is a documentary project by Jonathan Rashad that brings together voices and visuals from agricultural communities impacted by climate change in Egypt, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

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Drawing on the work of the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab and the Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action, Jonathan's journey revealed regional food and water challenges and the importance of merging traditional practices with science for climate change adaptation.

Science and technology will be crucial for a tackling food insecurity, but it is sometimes looking to tradition that can reveal new pathways to resilience and climate adaptation.

Co-produced by Community Jameel, Harvesting Hope seeks to highlight the importance of diverse solutions to ensure a food-secure future.

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STORIES

Kenya

Baringo County

"At that time, we didn’t understand that the drought was due to climate change, and we didn’t know that it was something that had started much, much earlier.”

Egypt

Ismailia, Nile Delta

"For me, the olive tree is a living thing."

Egypt

Ismailia, Nile Delta

"For me, the olive tree is a living thing."

Morocco

Asni, High Atlas Mountains

"Back then we had everything we needed—straw, barley, wheat. Now, this is all a memory of the past."

UAE

Mleiha, Sharjah

"Our bond with the land and desert is strong and runs deep. If you connect with it, it rewards you. Today, the very same deserts where our ancestors resided centuries ago continue to be generous to us.”

UAE

Mleiha, Sharjah

"Our bond with the land and desert is strong and runs deep. If you connect with it, it rewards you. Today, the very same deserts where our ancestors resided centuries ago continue to be generous to us.”

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FILM

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EVENTS

Cairo - Art D’Egypt, Cairo International Art District (October 2023)

Dubai - Goals House, COP28 (December 2023)

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ABOUT

In 2023, Egyptian photographer and filmmaker Jonathan Rashad travelled to Egypt, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco to highlight the impact of climate change on farming, fishing and pastoral communities.
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Drawing on the work of the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab and the Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action, his journey revealed regional food and water challenges and the importance of merging traditional practices with science for climate change adaptation.

The resulting collection of photography, voices, film and sound, portray stories of resilience, adaptation and hope as communities navigate the accelerating effects on climate change on their traditional livelihood and environment.

Co-produced by Community Jameel, Harvesting Hope seeks to highlight the importance of diverse solutions to ensure a food-secure future.

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PHOTOGRAPHER

Jonathan Rashad is a film director, photojournalist and writer producing visual stories in Egypt and elsewhere since 2008, mainly focusing on humanitarian, aftermath and environmental stories. Over the past decade, Rashad has been documenting agricultural communities severely affected by climate change in the Middle East and Africa.

His work has been published and distributed by international media outlets and organisations, including: National Geographic, The New York Times, TIME magazine, UNESCO, Der Spiegel and the BBC. He has exhibited his photography in galleries worldwide including at 5th European Month of Photography in Berlin (2012), Museum Folkwang in Essen (2013), POMED’s Annual Awards in Washington DC (2013), Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg (2013), Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark (2014), East Wing Gallery in Dubai (2014), Photoville Gallery in New York (2014), Friedrichshain Photo Gallery in Berlin (2020) and Ubuntu Art Gallery in Cairo (2023).