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07 11 2007
Good gifts from the Holy Land—are they really?
We wish to draw your attention to certain concerns we have about one of the products promoted in this year’s Good Gifts catalogue.
As Christmas time approaches, many well-meaning individuals and organisations turn to Good Gifts as a source of ethical gifts for family and friends. The Charities Advisory Trust (CAT), which runs Good Gifts as well as Card Aid, is widely and justly respected for its work in advising charities on ethical ways of generating funds. People who buy CAT cards and gifts do so in the belief that they are showing solidarity with disadvantaged people around the world and helping to improve their lives. In most cases, this belief is justified.
However, we are concerned that the olive oil being promoted by CAT under the label “Peace Oil” unwittingly undermines genuine fairly traded products from Palestine brought into the UK by cooperatives like Zaytoun (www.zaytoun.org).
Olive oil is the backbone of Palestine's agricultural economy. It is a vital source of income for tens of thousands of farmers and their families, 67 percent of whom live below the poverty line.
Zaytoun imports olive oil produced by Palestinian farmers scraping a living from the remnants of their land. It actively promotes social justice and partnership in trade and provides total transparency in terms of information about its suppliers and producers. Zaytoun supports its producers in gaining fair trade and organic status and is itself a member of the international fair trade body IFAT. It organises harvest tours, inviting visitors to see for themselves how its non-profit-making work helps people who desperately need access to markets beyond their immediate locality.
The Israeli authorities destroy rural livelihoods in Palestine by confiscating or denying access to land, uprooting trees, controlling water resources and obstructing trade. Settler violence and the building of Israel’s Separation Wall aggravate the situation.
Unable to afford costly advertising, Palestinian products struggle to find space on shelves in UK health food shops, charity outlets and the occasional supermarket, depending mainly on groups of committed human rights activists, of all faiths and of none, selling bottles to supporters.
As an Israeli-based product, albeit with some Palestinian input, Peace Oil faces none of these limitations.
We hope that the Charities Advisory Trust will take this on board and, at the very least, promote fairly traded Palestinian oil from Zaytoun alongside Peace Oil. Until this happens we would urge those who want to give olive oil as a “good gift” to choose Zaytoun in preference.
PSC, Jews for Justice for Palestinians (JfJfP), the Interfaith group for Morally Responsible Investment (IMRI) and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD).
However, we are concerned that the olive oil being promoted by CAT under the label “Peace Oil” unwittingly undermines genuine fairly traded products from Palestine brought into the UK by cooperatives like Zaytoun (www.zaytoun.org).
Olive oil is the backbone of Palestine's agricultural economy. It is a vital source of income for tens of thousands of farmers and their families, 67 percent of whom live below the poverty line.
Zaytoun imports olive oil produced by Palestinian farmers scraping a living from the remnants of their land. It actively promotes social justice and partnership in trade and provides total transparency in terms of information about its suppliers and producers. Zaytoun supports its producers in gaining fair trade and organic status and is itself a member of the international fair trade body IFAT. It organises harvest tours, inviting visitors to see for themselves how its non-profit-making work helps people who desperately need access to markets beyond their immediate locality.
The Israeli authorities destroy rural livelihoods in Palestine by confiscating or denying access to land, uprooting trees, controlling water resources and obstructing trade. Settler violence and the building of Israel’s Separation Wall aggravate the situation.
Unable to afford costly advertising, Palestinian products struggle to find space on shelves in UK health food shops, charity outlets and the occasional supermarket, depending mainly on groups of committed human rights activists, of all faiths and of none, selling bottles to supporters.
As an Israeli-based product, albeit with some Palestinian input, Peace Oil faces none of these limitations.
We hope that the Charities Advisory Trust will take this on board and, at the very least, promote fairly traded Palestinian oil from Zaytoun alongside Peace Oil. Until this happens we would urge those who want to give olive oil as a “good gift” to choose Zaytoun in preference.
PSC, Jews for Justice for Palestinians (JfJfP), the Interfaith group for Morally Responsible Investment (IMRI) and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD).