Palestinian olive growers make a living from trees that are, in some cases, 2,000 to 3,000 years old - proof that these farmers have been working in harmony with the environment for centuries, according to Nasser Abufarha, a representative of Fairtrade producers in the Middle East.
Now the time may finally have come for them to be rewarded for their role in conserving local ecosystems, through a fledgling scheme to develop “Fairtrade” carbon credits.
Fairtrade is an internationally recognised labelling system that offers small producers of crops such as coffee, bananas, cotton and cocoa better terms of trade, including a minimum price for their goods, and a bonus that goes into a communal fund for workers and their families.
At the U.N. climate summit in Doha late last year, Fairtrade International and The Gold Standard Foundation announced an agreement to incorporate Fairtrade principles into low-carbon development projects certified by Gold Standard. The first credits are expected by the end of 2013.
The aim is to tap into Fairtrade’s network of 1,000 certified producer organisations in developing countries, enabling thousands more smallholders to access the carbon market and receive much-needed finance to mitigate and adapt to climate change, the organisations said.
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