On the Crisis in Gaza
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01 septiembre, 2014 | Fundación Ideas para la Paz On the Crisis in Gaza [email protected] Notes to Editors Fairtrade International has been in touch with Fair Trade The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body organisations in Palestine to express concern at the distressing which licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products situation in Gaza which has left over a thousand dead and many which meet international Fairtrade standards. This independent thousands injured. consumer label appears on products to show that disadvantaged Canaan Fair Trade, a Fair Trade producer organisation situated producers are getting a better deal from trade. Today, more than in the West Bank, describes what is happening to relatives and 1.24 million people – farmers and workers – across more than 60 friends in Gaza as ‘heart-rending’. The farmers of Canaan Fair developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade Trade cultivate olives on the West Bank – and like all Fairtrade system. farmer organizations in the area – they continue to be Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the FAIRTRADE dramatically affected by the instability of the situation Mark including coffee, tea, herbal teas, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, “There is little that we can do, however, other than move popular bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, apples, pears, pressure towards an end to the violence and breaking the siege plums, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, on the people of Gaza,” said a spokesperson for Canaan Fair mandarins, lychees, coconuts, dried fruit, juices, smoothies, Trade. “We just pray and hope that this dreadful cycle of violence biscuits, cakes & snacks, honey, jams & preserves, chutney & will end soon and thank our international friends for your sauces, rice, quinoa, herbs & spices, seeds, nuts & nut oil, wines, support and concern.” beers, rum, confectionary, muesli, cereal bars, yoghurt, ice-cream, flowers, sports balls, sugar body scrub and cotton Canaan http://www.canaanfairtrade.com/ works with over 1,700 products including clothing, homeware, cloth toys, cotton wool, farmers organized into 49 village-based cooperatives, which are olive oil, gold, silver and platinum. members of the Palestine Fair Trade Association (PFTA). Recently, they introduced their Jerusalem Blend Olive Oil in Awareness of the FAIRTRADE Mark continues to be high in 2013, Whole Foods Market in the US (without the international at a level of 77%. FAIRTRADE Mark at present). In addition, Zaytoun CIC Estimated UK retail sales of Fairtrade products in 2013 reached (http://www.zaytoun.org/) distributes olive oil and other products £1.78 billion, a 14% increase on sales of £1.53 billion in 2012. from the PFTA. “When the first Palestinian Fairtrade products were launched on the international market five years ago, producers told us that Fairtrade was helping them plant hope in Palestine,” says Harriet Lamb, CEO of Fairtrade International. “The production of olives and olive oil is a vital source of livelihood on the fragile and marginal Palestinian lands.” – ENDS– Eileen Maybin Head of Media Relations 020 7440 7686/07770 957 451 [email protected] Martine Parry Media and PR Manager 020 7440 7695 [email protected] Nicola Frame Media and PR Manager 020 7440 8597 [email protected] Anna Galandzi Press Officer 020 7440 7692 1.