On the occasion of an interview with Palestinian researcher Layth Sbaihat on organic farming in Palestine, we visited two key sites around Jenin, West Bank: Al Zababdeh Organic Model Farm and Canaan Fair Trade..
The Role of Canaan in Palestinian Fair Trade
From Le Jeudi: “The associative fabric in Palestine is very dense. However, Canaan operates as a commercial company, not an NGO. How does this business function alongside your research center?”
Layth Sbaihat explains:
“We come from the Palestine Fair Trade Association, a cooperative of farmers committed to selling their products at fair prices. To support them, we established Canaan Palestine in 2004 to provide certification labels and market the brand. We also created the Land of Canaan Foundation, a lobbying group defending Palestinian farmers’ interests in the USA. These three entities needed a research center to ensure compliance with organic and fair trade standards.”
“As a research center, we bridge the gap between farmers and the market, improving product quality and production capacity. If there’s demand for a specific organic product that Palestinian farmers struggle to cultivate, we step in to support them in achieving those standards.”
