These Women Are For Real: Fair Trade in the West Bank
The start of my trip to the Holy Land got off to an inauspicious start. Flight delays caused me to miss a connection, and I ended up in Israel half a day late. I didn’t have much time to spare. The point of my one-week visit was assessing the progress of a CRS Fair Trade Fund project formally called ”Promoting Local Consumers of Fair Trade Goods in the Palestine Market.” We at CRS refer to it as “Adel,” the Arabic word for “fair,” and the name of a local nongovernmental organization (NGO) that the Fund helped create with a two year grant of $100,000.
CRS staff & partners conducted focus groups with producers throughout the West Bank.
My colleague, Hanan Nasrallah, of CRS Jerusalem , and I jumped right into our evaluation. That is, after our driver, Ramin Ghattas, expertly found the best way through checkpoints from Tel Aviv to the occupied territory of the West Bank. Our first stop was meeting with 18 Adel participants who were members of a women’s group producing cookies, jam, pickles, and lemonade at the Al Naquora Production Center in Nablus. Just a few moments into our focus group session, in response to the question, “What is your overall opinion of the project?” one woman replied through an interpreter:
“It’s benefiting both the consumers and producers. We are getting a fair wage and good income. We are working with dignity.”
Immediately I thought, “Oh boy, these women have been prepped in advance.” The response, by a woman named Najah, was just too perfect. In my role as a fair trade educator I often press the point that fair traders need to root their work in the official definition of Fair Trade, which beings, “Fair Trade is a partnership based on dialogue, transparency, and respect that seeks greater equity in international trade.” My view is that in order to promote high standards, facilitate collaboration, and avoid watering down practices, a common definition must be utilized. But, truth is, most U.S. consumers, fair trade advocates, and owners of fair trade businesses I come in contact with can’t begin to quote the definition. How could a Palestinian woman living in a West Bank town so easily articulate the essence of fair trade?
My skepticism diminished, though, as the dialogue continued in an animated and personal way. While Hanan and I had prepared some guiding questions, the women-all dressed in traditional, full, hijabs-made the conversation their own. They spoke of how their group had transformed from a support network for vulnerable women to a center of entrepreneurship. “We are very productive and increase our income. We help our husbands. Our husbands used to ask why are you wasting your time with other women?” Several women agreed with the sentiment that “I can get out of the house” because there is so much work to do with Adel.
Their productivity has increased because Adel has been able to renovate their production center, purchase a new oven for baked goods, and provide jars and cans to package their products. Adel also works to build a new customer base for the women. Their customers include hotels in Jerusalem, the local water ministry, and a factory in the city of Hebron. In addition to the social empowerment and group cohesion, the economic benefits to the group are encouraging. On average, the women used to receive 5 Israeli shekels an hour (about $1.40) and they now, with steady orders, receive 10 to 12 shekels ($2.85-$3.40). Adel’s commitment to pay a “fair” price means a price that covers more than the cost of production and contributes to a decent wage. The women receive 1/2 of their payment when the products are picked up by Adel and the rest when the items are sold.
And about that near perfect understanding of fair trade? Over the course of my travels and discussions with producers and fair trade groups in the Holy Land, what became clearer to me is that in the context of marginalization and occupation, the principles and ethos of fair trade have real-life resonance with Palestinians. I also learned that Adel has laid a firm foundation for success. In addition to providing the hardware of fair trade-renovated buildings, working ovens, jars-they also provide training on what fair trade is and its potential for Palestinian communities. Skill building also focuses on making the most of the traditional knowledge of how to bake cookies or pickle carrots, and how to do so in ways that are of high quality and healthy for consumers. Indeed, Najah-whose name means “success”-was particularly keen for us to understand future goals will include convincing consumers that Adel products are more than just homemade, they are healthy and locally produced. The women agreed, “We used to put products just on the shelf. But now we have a message.”
This painting of Madonna and child hangs in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, in the Cremisan Valley of the West Bank.
I certainly got many messages from my time in the Holy Land, and I will be sharing those in this blog and elsewhere in the coming weeks and months. Right now, I want to make sure you know it is time to send Secretary of State Kerry a message regarding peace in the Holy Land. Visit our Catholics Confront Global Poverty Action Center to learn how proposed illegal settlements in the Cremisan Valley, near where Jesus was born, fits into a protracted pattern that has serious implications for the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Secretary Kerry is in the region now and needs to hear from people of faith about the demands for justice in the Holy Land.
When you choose to purchase Fair Trade products, you are endorsing an economic system that provides opportunities for producers to lift themselves out of poverty. Fair Trade provides assurances to consumers that producers are paid fair prices for their products and labor. It gives them more direct market access which removes many of the “middle-men” who traditionally have absorbed the majority of the profits. In addition, Fair Trade provides a set of requirements that assure consumers that strict standards have been met to protect the environment, build economic sustainability, empower women, and allow opportunities for education, poverty alleviation, and health care.
ftrn.org is an information hub designed to grow the fair trade movement. together, we can create a market that values the people who make the food we eat and the goods we use.
Fair Trade helps level the playing field by equipping the farmers with tools—information and training—they need to receive fair prices for their products. The Fair Trade system aims to provide greater market access to farmers, which gives them a larger say in how much their product is worth.We say that Fair Trade is “market-based” because it relies on socially-conscious consumers support the movement by purchasing Fair Trade products. Through their conscious purchases, consumers tell companies that they care about the farmers and workers who produce their products. Fair Trade aims to address the underlying inequities caused by poverty and lack of access to market information that free trade ignores.