olive oil factfile
| Commodity | Olive oil |
| Country | Palestine is a West Asian country with a population of 5,4 million.
Fairtrade commodities originating there include nuts, oils and honey.
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| Background information | Palestinian farmers have been cultivating their lands for thousands of years and continue to do so, despite the challenges of farming under illegal occupation in the West Bank.
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| Social issues | For Palestinians, cultivating olive trees is considered a fundamental aspect of cultural and economic life. In the occupied West Bank, nearly half of cultivated Palestinian agricultural land is planted with millions of olive trees: these support the livelihoods of as many as 100,000 families, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
Palestinian farmers tend their olive groves in difficult circumstances. They work in the challenging context of Israeli occupation, economic hardship, and ongoing insecurity and conflict: this includes violence from settlers, often during harvesting season. Amid this backdrop, Fairtrade certification offers hope to olive growers.
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| Environmental issues | Large plantations use up a great amount of water which could lead to drought in places with scarce water. Pesticide use in olive plantations is another major concern.
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| Why is Fairtrade important?
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Fairtrade olive oil co-operatives can get access to extra funds from the Fairtrade Premium – an additional payment to spend on business or community initiatives of their choice. This makes a world of difference. For instance, some olive farmers use their Premium funds to invest in processing facilities, enabling them to capture a greater share of the revenues from their harvests.
At Fairtrade Foundation we hope more business join us in partnering with farmers like Haj Rafeeq Hussein, who remain committed to growing delicious olives against all odds. We particularly look forward to even more cosmetic brands launching Fairtrade olive oil in a range of products in the future.
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| Where to buy Fairtrade olive oil | Zaytoun |