Palestinian Cooperative To Attend Fairtrade Fortnight 2010

27th February, 2010

Palestinian Cooperative To Attend Fairtrade Fortnight 2010.
Zaytoun is a pioneering Fair Trade initiative selling Palestinian products in the UK and Ireland. We are a cooperative Community Interest Company and an World Fair Trade Association member. Zaytoun was established to support marginalized farming communities in Palestine. As a purpose beyond-profit company our primary objectives lie with the welfare of the producing communities. We invest in empowering farming communities and developing the agricultural infrastructure in Palestine. Since it inception in 2004 Zaytoun has imported more than 170, 000 litres of Palestinian olive oil into the UK which translates to more than £1.5 million reaching farmer cooperatives.

 We have worked closely with the Fairtrade Foundation since 2004 with the aim of certifying Palestinian Olive Oil. We are proud to announce that the first ever Fairtrade Certified product from Palestine was launched during Fairtrade Fortnight 2009.  Zaytoun’s range of Organic and Fairtrade Certified Olive Oil’s and Olives are the first Fairtrade Marked products in this category; this is a very exciting time for Zaytoun and the Palestinian farmer co-operatives that have been working to achieve Fairtrade status for 5 years.

We have invited Taysir Arabasi to the UK during Fairtrade Fortnight 2010. Taysir is Zaytoun’s Director in Palestine. He lives in Salfeet district which is an area highly dependent on olive cultivation and one which has seen much of its rich agricultural resources stolen through the construction of the illegal settlements. He has been working with community agricultural projects for the last ten years and has been instrumental in the grass roots campaigning against the building of the illegal annexation wall in the West Bank. Taysir is a passionate speaker about the rights of the small farmer and of the Palestinian people and an advocate of the power of fair trade.

This is positive story for change in Palestine with Fairtrade as the core message.
www.zaytoun.org contact@zaytoun.org  0845 345 4887
guildfordpeaceandjustice@talktalk.net

High Street Demo – Boycott Israeli Goods

 Demo Outside Sainsbury’s To “Bycot Israeli Goods” 

The Voice of Anti-Capitalism in Guildford got together with the Peace & Justice Movement and members of the community in Guildford to demonstrate opposition to Israeli goods. A vigil was held outside Sainsbury’s, Guildford High Street in support of the Palestinians. A dozen people stood outside Sainsbury’s, handed out leaflets and spoke to shoppers.

  
Much of the food exported to britain is produced on occupied Palestinian land. Held against international law and in violation of United Nations resolutions.