Fair Trade Olive Oil, Enema History in Coins, 15% Off Sale, and more

Fair Trade Olive Oil and Dr. Bronner's Soap

Know that when you purchase Dr. Bronner's Soap, you are contributing to a just world, a healthier planet, and a healthier you!

A dear friend of mine is the wife of the fair trade activist who brought the only fairly traded olive oil to the market. Below is their story.

"I always knew the young man whom I met back in 1987 at Wayne State University, Nasser Abufarha, would do great things one day that would not only have a significant impact on his own community in Palestine, but the world as a whole. Merging life experience with education and training, Nasser has given the olive farming sector in Palestine new hope by connecting the concept and community of fair trade and organic farming practices with the olive farmers of Palestine. The global movement of fair trade is joined with the centuries-old commitment to land and sustainable farming in Palestine.

Nasser's project is twofold: he founded the Palestine Fair Trade Association on the one hand to empower small farmers through education and training and the pooling of their products and resources, and Canaan Fair Trade as an export company on the other to provide farmers with a direct link to international markets committed to fair trade and organic products. The project has enabled small farmers to maintain their traditional way of life sustainably - for the earth and their families - by tapping into a global community willing to pay a social premium for high-quality, fair-trade-certified, organic products.

Nasser Abufarha

The project doesn't just make good business sense - it serves as a vehicle for cultural exchange between producer communities and distributors and consumers. Farmers realize they have friends and supporters around the globe, and people from many countries are getting to know a Palestine that is rarely in the headlines. The human dimension of the project has given way to touching stories and moving accounts of how this project has literally changed people's lives and perceptions about self and other.

In uncertain times Nasser has given hope and purpose to people's lives at home and abroad by creating a space for meaningful self-expression of identity, culture, and conviction. People's lives are literally transformed into tangible day-to-day outcomes that help offset the damage and destruction of decades of conflict with the state of Israel. There is an unusual merging of ancient tradition with modern practice, local knowledge with the latest in farming practices. People are realizing they are speaking the same language.

These are challenging times, but exciting times just the same. We are all witnessing in what ways sustainability is not simply the right thing to do, but that the survival of our world and our communities depends on it. Fair trade in Palestine is a beautiful example of how good ideas can really touch people's lives and secure our future no matter where we are or where we are from."

Learn more about fair trade in Palestine by visiting www.palestinefairtrade.org and www.canaanfairtrade.com or take a trip and see for yourself how ideas can change the world!