Palestinian Fair Trade

Since meeting the Palestinian delegation (comprised of representatives from Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees, Fair Trade Development Center and Holy Land Handicraft Coop) at the IFAT Conference, I have been getting a crash course in the challenges of farming and craft production and sales in an occupied territory, the astounding health benefits from First Pressed, Organic Olive Oil… and the incredible (almost invincible) power of the human spirit!

In spite of the devastating impact that the Israeli Occupation and "the Wall" has had on trade - especially in the West bank and Gaza - direct links with Fair Trade partners are nurtured as a small flicker of hope for struggling agricultural and crafts producers.

But for now… since you asked specifically about Olive Oil (photo courtesy of Medical Aid for Palestine), I have  attempted  to describe some of the of the historical organizations and who appear to have the most direct links back to Palestinian small-scale farmers.

The Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) has very deep roots in support of small farmers. From their website: “PARC was founded in 1983 by a group of Palestinian agronomists responding voluntarily to the deterioration in agricultural extension programs in the Jordan Valley area of the West Bank as a result of the Israeli occupation by offering expert advice to marginalized, poor farmers in the area. This voluntary effort gained momentum and recognition over a short period of time, and, transformed into a non governmental organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development in rural areas in Palestine.

PARC, over the years, has become the leading organization serving Palestinian farmers and helping them overcome their problems. For more specific information on their work promoting Fair Trade in Palestine, check out their extensive website: http://www.palestinianfairtrade.ps/

In 2007, PARC has received its IFAT membership and is working with other local organizations, including the Fair Trade Development Center, to create a broader Palestinian Fair Trade network.  One of the many projects under this collective umbrella is the promotion and sales of Palestinian Olive Oil

 PARC importing and sales contacts in Canada and the USA are Medical Aid for Palestine  (MAP) based in Montreal and Olive Branch Olive Oil based in Boston, respectively. Both of these projects follow similar criteria – attempting to keep the infrastructure as simple as possible and the impact for the farmers as great as possible. They guarantee that 28 - 30 % of retail sales price goes back to the farmer and 10 % of the sales price is reinvested in additional social programs in Palestine – such as education and health programs.

I visited the MAP office in Montreal, and am impressed with the knowledge, sincerity and transparency displayed by the project and its two-person team: Edmond Omran, MAP president, and Samia Slimani, Project Manager. They are eager to make contact with roasters in Canada interested in extending their distribution network (Cafe Rico is already carrying the olive oil imported via MAP). For more information, you can communicate with MAP directly at:

5722 rue St. Andre
Montreal, QC H2S2K1
Tel. 514-843-7875
info@mapcan.org