For years I have been using Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap. I like the tingly peppermint smell, how clean it makes my skin feel, and the fact that the ingredient list is short and organic. Last weekend, at the annual Washington DC Green Festival, I learned that not only is Dr. B’s good for my body and good for the earth, but it’s good for the Middle East, too!
As it turns out, since 2007 Dr. Bronner’s has been sourcing 100% of its organic olive oil needs from producers in Israel and the West Bank!
The majority (90%) of the oil comes from Palestinians in the West Bank. Dr. B’s works with Canaan Fair Trade, a trading firm founded by Palestinians who “support peaceful co-existence with Israel and see profitable olive farming as one means of improving Palestinians’ economic situation.”
Canaan purchases oil from 1,700 small farmers who are organized in the Palestine Fair Trade Association. Since Palestinian olive oil competes in the global market with subsidized oil from EU countries, oil production was not so economically lucrative in the past. As members of the PFTA, however, small farmers who produce certified Fair Trade and Organic olive oil receive a guaranteed minimum price for the products as well as a Fair Trade premium of 25%.
Furthermore, they are able to protect the earth because the organic olive oil they produce is free of polluting pesticides and fertilizers.
On top of everything else, Dr. B’s has a certain message of peace. The company sources the remaining 10% of their organic olive oil from Sindyanna, a cooperative of Israeli-Arab women, and the Strauss Farm, owned by an Israeli family who pioneered organic olive farming in Israel.
By mixing the olive oil of Israeli and Palestinian farmers in their soaps, Dr. B’s aims to create a powerful symbol for peaceful coexistence. Says Gero Leson, Director of Special Operations: “We want to create cooperation among the crop growers on both sides, and this is another way to help people who are at the bottom of the social and economic ladder. Mixing the oil with soap is only a symbolic act that is important to us and our customers, so that they can know that by mixing the oil of Israeli and Palestinian suppliers, we are supporting both of them.”
Castille sopa by Dr. Bronner is not very soapy so to get more lather, use soft water
In my book, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps definitely gets an A+ for sustainable development and corporate social responsibility!
For more information about Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps’ work in Israel/Palestine, visit their website
Check out the following Prophecies for more on Fair Trade in Israel and Palestine:
SAHA’s Fairly Local Trade
No Sweat Apparel’s Organic Ts Help Bring Peace to the Middle East
Buying Fair Trade from the Hands of Local Craftswomen.
Photo Credits: capitolhemp and shirien_87
Author: Rachel Bergstein
When her vegan summer camp counselor explained to a fifteen-year-old Rachel how the dairy industry pollutes the groundwater in poor rural communities and causes global warming, there was no turning back. Her green fire lit, Rachel became increasingly passionate about the relationship between human societies and the natural environment, particularly about the systemic injustices associated with environmental degradation. After snagging a B.A. in Peace and Justice Studies at the University of Maryland, where she wrote an undergraduate thesis on water injustice in Israel/Palestine and South Africa, Rachel was awarded the New Israel Fund/Shatil’s Rabbi Richard J. Israel Social Justice Fellowship to come and spread the green gospel in Israel for the 2009-2010 academic year. She currently interns for Friends of the Earth Middle East in their Tel Aviv office. When Rachel is not having anxiety about her ecological footprint, carbon and otherwise, she can be found in hot pursuit of the best vegetarian food Tel Aviv has to offer. She also blogs about her experience as an NIF fellow and environmentalist in Israel at organichummus.wordpress.com. Rachel can be reached at rachelbergstein (at) gmail (dot) com.
Hello there,
I am a student from Kenilworth School and Sports College and I was just wondering if I could use your image for one of my non-profit publications that promotes fairly-traded products.
Kindest Regards,
Sam Lardner,
Year 11