Whole Foods Carries Palestinian Fair Trade Olive Oils

It’s the purest olive oil you’ve ever tasted. It’s so pure you find yourself sneaking sips of it straight out of the bottle. The food it flavors becomes secondary as every excuse is made to showcase its divine goodness. Salads are transformed. Greek yogurt with zaatar and the Rumi variety show up as the main entree. Dessert is Nabali with grilled figs. Yes, Canaan Fair Trade’s olive oil is this delicious. And today, you can buy it and other of the company’s Palestinian products in every U.S. Whole Foods Market.*

Two years ago, I spent the summer in the hills of the West Bank. As part of a research impact assessment, I worked with Canaan Fair Trade, interviewing their farmers and chronicling their journeys. We uncovered powerful stories of determination and perseverance. The faces of fair trade, the women the children and the small farmers—the reason why the model exists and why it works—graciously invited me into their homes and generously shared their commitment to their land, to their heritage and to their future. Through our research, we found that the fair trade model is able to support small farmers and build their local communities despite living and working in an occupied territory. This discovery was huge for the fair trade movement, demonstrating that the model serves its purpose even in the most challenging of circumstances.

* except for stores in Florida

* some Whole Foods Stores only carry a selection of Canaan Fair Trade's products 

To continue reading, click here

Julie is passionate about telling the story of where business meets good. She is the Founder of B Storytelling, a content development company specifically designed to help popularize the good happening through business. They do this by helping Benefit Corporations identify, build and leverage their brands. Julie has an MBA in Managing for Sustainability from Marlboro Graduate School. She lives in West Palm Beach, Florida with her husband, Thomas.