Olive Branch Olive Oil
Fairly-Traded Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Palestine
Fairly-Traded Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Palestine
Where is the Oil From?
The Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC)
Olive Branch Olive Oil imports its oil from the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees a non-profit, non-governmental organization in the West Bank and Gaza, which celebrated its Silver Jubilee Anniversary in 2008.
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 military 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. The olive oil harvest in Palestine follows an every other year cycle: one good year, followed by one bad year. The 2009 harvest, already designated as a "bad" year, was even worse than expected. Due to drought conditions for the past two years, the harvest was so poor that some areas were not able to harvest any olive. As a result, supply is limited this year and we saw a 20%+ increase in price. We have tried to keep our price increase as modest as possible.
Our latest batch of olive oil, delivered in March 2010, was produced by the following cooperatives:
- Huwwarah (Nablus)
- Kufur Dan and Al Yamoun (Jenin)
- Kufur Qaddoum (Qalquilya)
- Al Zawyeh (Salfit)
- Qarawah bani Zaid (Ramallah)
The oil was 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. PARC received FLO Fair Trade Certification in 2009.
IFAT prescribes 10 standards that Fair Trade organizations must meet 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 meet 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
