Organic, extra virgin olive oil introductions from Canaan Fair Trade of Palestine
Westport 02 25 2009 ( FoodBizDaily) - Canaan Fair Trade of Palestine is introducing multiple new organic products to the North American market at Expo West, starting March 06. They are expanding their line of certified organic, certified fair trade olive oils and olives, and adding organic olive oil soap.
Estate Olive Blend will join the Canaan premium varietals Nabali, from the native trees in Palestine, and Rumi,from the ancient Roman Empire trees. “Estate Olive Blend comes from the remarkable olives of Bayyada, the hill of ancient trees that our own Canaan orchard is part of,” says Nasser Abufarha, Canaan Fair Trade Director. “It is pressed in small batches on our own state-of-the-art olive press in our new facility on the same hill.”
Organic Infused Olive Oil in four flavors will round out the Canaan olive oil collection. The flavors are Chili, Garlic, Herbal and Lemon. Olive Teppanades will join the organic Green Olives and Tree Ripened Olives in the Canaan line.
Traditional hand cut olive oil soap in five scents will introduce a new line of body care products. Made of organic extra virgin olive oil, the soaps are made in small batches by Palestinian women's cooperatives in Lavender, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Mint and Unscented versions.
The new products expand a popular line of Palestinian olive oil, olives, hand rolled couscous, and handmade za'atar or thyme mixture. They are sold in organic stores, food cooperatives, and fair trade stores in the U.S.
Organic certification and fair trade certification is by IMO of Switzerland and TransFair USA. Canaan Fair Trade is the first and only third party certified fair trade olive oil in the world.
About
In just four years, Canaan Fair Trade has become the largest exporter of olive oil in Palestine to Europe and North America. Canaan is the marketing member of the Palestine Fair Trade Association, and benefits 2500 farm families in Palestine by selling their certified organic, certified fair trade olive oil and foods, produced in the traditional, sustainable Palestinian farming methods of cultivating and harvesting.
In 2004, the price of olive oil was about $1.50 to $2 per kilo, and it was not self supporting. In 2005, Canaan paid their farmer cooperatives double that, plus a 10% premium for organic and a 10% premium for fair trade. The effect this had on the market was striking. The market price the next year for all Palestinian farmers doubled.
Canaan continues to pay over market price to their farmers plus premiums for certified farmers and other material support. More Palestinian jobs are created at the new bottling plant in Burqin, printing the labels and making the shipping cartons in Nablus, and driving trucks to pick up the olive oil at the farms.
Canaan supports Trees for Life, a program started in 2005 that has planted over 38,400 olive trees with start-up farmers, small farmers, and those whose trees or lands have been destroyed by Israeli forces.
In 2006 Canaan's micro-loan program extended fair trade benefits of economic and social empowerment to women’s collectives making traditional Palestinian foods. Each year since 2007, the Canaan Scholarships program has awarded 10 full four-year college scholarships to
deserving students from farm or refugee families to attend local Palestinian universities. These students work as interns in the PFTA during the summers, developing leadership skills that will bring lasting benefit to their communities.
Fair trade means whole communities working collectively can capture opportunities for large orders from buyers like Dr. Bronner’s, which uses Canaan organic, fair trade, extra virgin olive oil in their Magic Soaps. This collective network is built and available for the farmers to address other concerns and issues as a community.
Fair trade supports the farmers’ pride and dignity with their ability to produce and have access to the world market.
Contact
http://www.canaanfairtrade.com