Peppery olive oil, caramelly Medjoul dates and sweet, crunchy almonds - tantalising tastes from Palestine that are fair trade, organic, high quality and utterly delicious, grown using traditional methods on land farmed for generations by the same families.

Farming the land has become harder and harder as the situation in the West Bank deteriorates. Access to water is heavily restricted by the Israeli government, olive trees are uprooted and crops burned. Increasingly strict restrictions on travel mean accessing fields to tend to crops or getting to the factory to pack produce for export is increasingly difficult. A regular army presence alongside armed illegal settlers threaten lives, homes and land. Harvest, normally a time of celebration, is marked by an increase in violence and sometimes the confiscation of crops. 

And yet, despite everything, despite the supply chain disruption and increased costs of transportation and insurance, products are still making their way to the UK. The last three years have been Zaytoun’s most challenging but also their most successful because of an outpouring of support from UK customers who have embraced Zaytoun products as a way to show solidarity with Palestinian producers. They are symbols of hope, despite all the odds.

This month we celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight which stands up for farmers everywhere and fights for their rights. Join us in enjoying the most wonderful Fairtrade food, grown by farmers who simply want to farm their land in peace and celebrate the fruits of their labour. 

Zaytoun has supplied these films:

Palestinian farmer Mohammad Irsheid harvests his almonds: Palestinian farmer Mohammad Irsheid harvests his almonds #palestine #westbank #almonds #fairtrade - YouTube

Voices from the date harvest in the West Bank (2025): Voices from the date harvest in the West Bank (2025) - YouTube