Canaan Impact Study 2005-2011
This report assesses the impact of Canaan Fair Trade (Canaan) in fulfilling its mission to empower small and marginalized Palestinian producer communities caught in the midst of conflict. Canaan sets out to fulfill its mission as a triple bottom line company that uses its profits to invest in people and the planet. In the Palestinian context, this commitment translates into programs, policies, and practices that sustain the livelihood of Palestinian farmers and protect the environment through the economic principle of fair trade and the practice of organic farming within a framework of social accountability and environmental sustain- ability.
The study follows the complete chain of Canaan’s relationships and activities, including the organizational structure, education and training programs, production, pricing, marketing and sales, community empowerment projects, and relationships with local and global partners. Findings are based on data supplied by Canaan and the Palestine Fair Trade Association (PFTA), including testimony of founder and director, Nasser Abufarha, as well as feedback from semi-structured interviews with 45 farmers and women co-op members who are affiliated with Canaan from 10 village co-ops across Palestine collected during the summer of 2012.
In addition to the impact on the primary constituent group, namely the farmers, this report also considers Canaan’s impact on women who are emerging as an active participant in Canaan’s activities by way of the women co-ops and their leadership within PFTA, as well as other sectors in Palestine, including local and international
partners such as suppliers, distributors and solidarity groups, and the international community generally. Canaan will use this report to inform its current business practices and partnership with PFTA so that it can better serve Palestinian producer communities and continue to provide leadership within the global fair trade movement.
