PARC emerged from the huge voluntary movement that prevailed and characterized the scene (National Committees for Voluntary Movement) in the Palestinian Territories in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was formed by a group of agronomists, agricultural engineers, pioneer farmers and vet doctors who were active in the voluntary movement and who were convinced that forming specialized agricultural voluntary groups will serve the farmers, Palestinian agricultural sector and national goal of protecting the land in a better way.

PARC was founded in 1983 in response to the lack of agricultural extension services for Palestinian farmers. This sector was intentionally ignored by the so-called Israeli Civil Administration – Agricultural Department, hoping that Palestinian farmers will desert their land and thus make it an easy target for confiscation.

Therefore, PARC at that time was founded to achieve two main objectives:

1. Protect Palestinian land from confiscation by the Israeli occupation, the fact that since it occupied the Palestinian territories in 1967 has applied a systematic policy of confiscation of Palestinians’ land in order to build Israeli Jewish settlements – to the detriment of Palestinian land ownership. Benefiting of Ottoman Law, Israeli occupation forces used to confiscate any Palestinian land that has been not utilized for 3 consecutive years. After April 2002 and the reoccupation of all PT, this law is still applicable even on all areas (Zone A, B and C). In addition to that it is known that security reasons were and still the excuse for confiscations of Palestinian land especially of are not in use.

2. To provide Palestinian farmers who were intentionally ignored by the so-called Israeli Civil Administration – Agricultural Department with the agricultural extension needed for improving the Palestinian agricultural sector. The Palestinian agricultural sector now found itself confronted with a very difficult challenge and competition with the Israeli agricultural sector which is heavily subsidized and supported by a very developed and organized extension, research and financial institutions. After 1994, the situation is changed, there is a Palestinian MOA but still challenge of competition, lack of organized and specialized extension and supportive research are still correct. The restriction on transportation of Palestinian produce, people, and flooding of Israeli agriculture Produce in PT are rendering the competition more difficult.

Since 1983 PARC has undergone a number of stages as an organization. We can summarize these stages that PARC has passed through as following:

Stage 1: 1983 – 1987- Voluntarism
During this period, PARC was characterized by the following:
1. Pure agricultural voluntary groups providing extension services to farmers as individuals.
2. Depending on local resources with limited foreign funding.
3. Concentrating on national issues ( political aspects) more than specialized area (agriculture)
4. Limited geographical outreach. At this stage, the aim was to protect Palestinian lands from confiscation through plantation of uncultivated areas and providing farmers with extension services.

Stage 2: 1988 – 1992- Development and Expanding
During this period, PARC was characterized by:
1. Playing special role in the first Intifada by establishing of Public Committees and enhancing of household economy and providing humanitarian aid.
2. More attention given to agricultural issues in addition to national agenda
3. Geographical outreaching capacity increased
4. Starting coordination and networking process
5. Partnership with different established and financial resources developed

Stage 3: 1993 – 1999- Institutionalization
Relying on the reputation and trust by different stakeholders built before and after the First Intifada, PARC has moved forward to develop:
1. During this period PARC first Core program was developed. Sub-programs in Land development (land reclamation, agricultural roads, irrigation, rural women sub-program started, initiatives in gender, training of newly graduate agronomists started.
2. First 10 years strategic plan was developed (1998-2008). PARC became the first Non Government organization to get the ISO 9002 as service providing organization. One of the main developments in PARC’s work is represented in its understanding of the work with grassroots organizations and gathering.
3. Financial resources growing and geographical outreach were remarkable.
4. Administrative development of branches and networks in rural areas based on decentralized systems

Stage 4: 2000 – 2007 - Networking Organization of beneficiaries used to be considered as a mean for improving the services that are provided to these groups and to improve the performance of PARC as an organization. At this stage, organization of the beneficiaries became an objective by itself and the efforts in this direction became part of our vision for building of a Palestinian democratic and civil society. During this period, main events took place;
1. 2000-2005: The second Palestinian up-rising (Intifada) in the year 2000 has come to halt the development in some aspects:

• In stead of abandoning humanitarian emergency intervention and be involved only in developmental interventions, PARC was obliged to continue in two parallel tracks; developmental and humanitarian interventions. To avoid sinking in humanitarian emergency interventions, PARC has developed its concept
“Relief for Development” which has permitted to PARC continuing its developmental efforts.
• PARC has lowered the speed of its pace towards the separation from the daughter organizations (Rural Women Development Society (RWDS) and Youth Development Society (YDS)).
• PARC played an important role in establishment of PNGO and it was hosted in the organization and significantly was contributed with other NGOs to finalization of NGO’s Law.

2. Construction of the separation wall with all its political and socio- economic complications where most of rural families lost their main source of income since their fertile land and main water resources became behind the wall and thousands of families pushed to poverty since they cannot reach and use their natural resources (land and water) and they cannot market their product easily to Israeli market and for external export.
3. 2005-2007: After the general evaluation of PARC’s activities late 2004, PARC has developed its first 3 years program document. In the cadre of this effort, PARC has fine tuned and reformulated its strategic goals into 4 main goals. At the inception of the plan PARC was focusing on building capacities of the syndic and community based organizations. However, and because of the continuing deterioration of the livelihood of Palestinians that followed the legislative election and the take over of the PA by Hamas, PARC had to continue giving more efforts for its first strategic goal “Enhancing the Economic Role through Contribution in Achieving Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture”.
4. During this period however, PARC has deepened its intervention in the field of agribusiness and its efforts for helping farmers to market their produce through long term partnership with private sector.
5. PARC became as leading Party in consortium consisting from the biggest for NGOs working in rural development
6. Networking on local, regional and international levels.