Articles by Marta Vidal

Marta Vidal is an independent journalist writing about human rights and social justice across the Mediterranean.

Doha Asous, known as Um Musa, collects her olives on her land located close to the settlement of Yizhar, Burin, West Bank, October 15, 2022. Asous family owns about 84 dunums but most of it is very difficut or impossible to access due to the proximity of the Israeli settlements. Surrounded by several Israeli settlements, Burin has been a frequent target of attacks by Israeli settlers. Image by Anne Paq.

Palestinian olive farmers hold tight to their roots amid surge in settler attacks

by Marta Vidal 30 November 2023

The first rainfall of autumn after months of drought signals the start of the olive harvest, the most important time of year for many Palestinian farmers. Between October and November,…

Elias Saker inspects wheat. Image by Marta Vidal for Mongabay.

Lebanese research preserves heat-adapted seeds to feed a warming world

by Marta Vidal 20 September 2022

TERBOL, Lebanon — Sitting cross-legged in the summer sun, Fatima collects seedpods from fava beans in Terbol, a quiet village surrounded by cypress trees and vineyards in the Beqaa Valley…

Jordan scrambles to save rare Red Sea corals that can withstand climate change

by Marta Vidal 14 February 2022

AQABA, Jordan – Dozens of tiny, dazzlingly colorful fish swim around a maze of layer upon layer of corals. When divers approach, they hide near a dome-shaped colony. In the…

Planned copper mine raises fears for biodiversity hotspot in Jordan

by Marta Vidal 9 November 2021

DANA, Jordan — Rugged hills frame a valley surrounded by evergreen oak, pistachio and pine trees in the village of Dana, where stone houses built centuries ago perch on the…