Fruits of the Holy Land

By Tom Price

Much of Israel and the Palestinian territories is still very much agricultural land. The timeless rhythms of rural life carry on here, in some ways little changed since the time of Christ.

A Palestinian leads his donkey past an Israeli army watchtower, the presence of a massive structure on the hillside not registering with the farmer or the donkey. But the troubles that scar this ancient land have damaged agricultural life.

Israeli security restrictions have severely limited movement for Palestinians. Farmers need markets for their goods and today that access is very limited. A recent economic report from the World Bank identified freer access and movement as crucial to reviving the area's crippled economy.

A group of Israelis and Palestinians are not waiting for the wheels of world diplomacy to turn and, instead, are taking practical action. Sindyanna of Galilee is a nonprofit association that seeks to help producers in the Palestinian territories. Through Sindyanna, hundreds of small farmers can get their olive oil, olive soap, honey and other products to market at a fair price.

"As an Israeli Jew, I realized that there is so much discrimination against Arab farmers and they don't have access to markets," says Roni Ben Efrat, resource manager for Sindyanna. "As Jews, we can get permits and make things happen within Israel much easier. We also wanted to help women in their 30s and 40s earn income and raise their families above the poverty level."

"Last year, we shipped 40 tons of olive oil to fair trade organizations overseas, including Catholic Relief Services' partner, A Greater Gift," she continues. "We took all of the profits and reinvested it into training programs for Arab women."

Thanks to this cross-community initiative, the fruit of the Holy Land is available as far afield as Britain, Australia and the United States. Most importantly, as Sindyanna is a fair trade organization, the farmers are guaranteed a healthy return for their labor.

Sindyanna is reinvesting its proceeds in new ways to help Palestinian farmers. They have trained 85 women from Galilee to make baskets from palm fronds, a strong and durable material, just as women from Galilee would have woven palm baskets in Christ's time. "The purpose is twofold," explains Roni, "to preserve a traditional craft and to offer women a source of livelihood that is flexible and real."

With the help of Sindyanna, Arab women are also keeping alive the ancient art of beekeeping as a source of livelihood. During winter and spring, bees gather pollen from Galilee's wildflowers. The women harvest and pack the honey. The bees are raised in the ancient tradition of Galilean villages.

Sindyanna also keeps track of modern trends. They will soon be selling organic olive oil. "We are all the time finding new things to market produced by Palestinians in Galilee," says Roni.

In a very practical way, Sindyanna serves as a sign of hope and cooperation in a troubled land. Together, the organization and the women it helps are creating a way for Americans to taste, through Sindyanna's products, the fruits of this ancient land.

Tom Price works as senior communications manager with CRS. He recently traveled to the Holy Land as part of a CRS delegation that met with leaders from both communities and visited CRS partners and beneficiaries.