Friends Meeting House, Mount St (behind Central Library), Manchester

25th February 7pm

Hosted by Olive Co-operative

Jamil Hijazin from Bethlehem University's Fairtrade Development Centre and Mahmoud al Qadi from the East Bani Zeid Co-operative near Ramallah will visit Manchester during Fairtrade Fortnight 2010. This is a precious opportunity to meet with the Palestinian farmers who have managed to earn better livelihoods - producing olive oil as their communities have for millenia – despite the roadblocks and checkpoints of the Israeli military occupation... and to provide us with their delicious organic and Fairtrade certified olive oil. 

The word 'precious' is not used lightly: We are sorry to say that three of the farmers due to visit the UK this year were denied visas by the British Consulate. This comes following a year of unprecedented measures taken by Israel to prevent internationals entering Palestine, and of heightened harassment and illegal detention of internationals working in solidarity with Palestinians in the West Bank. It looks as though the British government is keen to further Israel's isolationist agenda.  

Given that it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet Palestinians and learn about their lives, we are delighted that two of the farmers who have managed to get visas will be visiting Manchester, and want to give them the warmest welcome possible. The expansion of markets for Palestinian produce in the UK demonstrates true solidarity with the Palestinian people – and of course, the quality of their utterly addictive olive oil! 

Please see below for more information on the visitors and their organisations. 

We hope you can make it. 
Jill, Leonie and Xen, 
Olive Co-operative 


East Bani Zeid Co-operative

In the West Bank farming village of Beni Zeid, Fair Trade is changing livelihoods and inspiring community change. Following years of wasted production and lost revenue due to Israeli policies of closure and restrictions on Palestinian’s movement, many olive producers in the village abandoned their trees. 

Thirty-two olive farmers from the village were determined to find an alternative solution, and came together in 2005 to form the Beni Zeid Co-operative. Using a holistic approach to olive farming and harvesting, the Co-operative was certified for organic olive oil production in 2006 and took Fairtrade certification in 2008. 

With more than 12,000 olive trees, the Beni Zeid Co-operative has exported close to 70 tons of premium Palestinian olive oil to European markets, giving consumers abroad a true taste of Palestinian culture and heritage. Most of the farmers in the Beni Zeid Co-operative are producing from trees that have been in their family for centuries, and with a focus on sustainable production and with a fair price from their product the next generation can profit too. 

Jamil Hijazeen started working for the Fair Trade Development Centre, Bethlehem University in 2008 as a project assistant. He has worked with the thirty selected olive oil groups supplying olive oil to the Centre.  

“My work is in the field of capacity building, Fairtrade awareness and certification. We have so far certified 7 Palestinian olive oil co-ops with the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation and we are in the process of certifying five others. I have participated in the organisation and implementation of regional fair trade events in different districts in Palestine, during which we have promoted the Palestinian olive oil and enhanced public awareness of fair trade”. 

“Because of Fairtrade we are thinking collectively in this co-operative. We’re not just developing ourselves, we’re developing a community.”

---- Mahmoud al Qadi, farmer from East Beni Zeid