Olive Branch Olive Oil
Fairly-Traded Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Palestine
Fairly-Traded Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Palestine
Extra-virgin, first cold press olive oil from agricultural cooperatives in the West Bank
Where is the Oil From?
The Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC)
Olive Branch Olive Oil imports its oil from the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) a non-profit, non-governmental organization in the West Bank. We congratulate PARC on reaching its Silver Jubilee (25th year) of promoting agriculture and rural development in Palestine. Ma'bruk!
Founded in 1983 by Palestinian agronomists working on a voluntary basis in response to deterioration in agricultural programs and services as a result of the Israeli occupation, PARC offered expert advice to marginalized and poor farmers and soon evolved into an NGO dedicated to promoting sustainable development in rural areas of the West Bank and Gaza.
PARC continues to be the leading NGO committed to sustainable development in rural Palestine. PARC assists at every stage of the olive oil production process, from helping farmers to reclaim rocky land, conserve water and implement sustainable environmental practices (like re-cropping, dry-land recycling of waste materials), to setting up regional labs for farmers to test their olive oil.
PARC strictly monitors the quality of the oil, testing and re-testing it at its main laboratory to ensure that it meets all specifications.
PARC works with 15 different small farming cooperatives. Our latest batch of olive oil, just arrived in March 2008, was produced by the El Amrah cooperative near Qalqilya and bottled and labeled at the PARC facility in Al-Ram.
What is Fair Trade?
PARC is a member of the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT), and is the only Palestinian organization that has received the Palestine Standards Institution certification for its olive oil.
IFAT prescribes 10 standards that Fair Trade organizations must follow in their day-to-day work, and continuously monitors to ensure these standards are upheld.
These include: transparent management
and accountability, opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers, payment of a fair price, promotion of
better environmental practices, and commitment not to maximize profit at the expense of small farmers.
PARC is the first Palestinian producer of extra virgin olive oil to obtain an ISO22000 food safety certificate. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards.
IFAT prescribes 10 standards that Fair Trade organizations must follow in their day-to-day work, and continuously monitors to ensure these standards are upheld.
These include: transparent management
and accountability, opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers, payment of a fair price, promotion of
better environmental practices, and commitment not to maximize profit at the expense of small farmers.
PARC is the first Palestinian producer of extra virgin olive oil to obtain an ISO22000 food safety certificate. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards.
PARC bottling facility, Al-Ram
