Near East Foundation

Period: 2005-2008; 2011-Present
Primary Donor(s): US Agency for International Development (USAID); Human Concern International; United Nations Development Program; World Food Program

Olive trees have been the foundation of rural economies in Palestine and Israel for generations. Woven into the very fabric of these societies, olive trees also have meaning far beyond economic value and often trigger conflict.

Today the olive oil industry is a major source of income in both countries. In Palestine, over 100,000 families participate in the industry, which accounts for over 10% of GDP. However, tremendous unrealized financial opportunity and production capacity still exist in the region. With increased cooperation and improved technologies, both countries would benefit socially and economically.

Given the market opportunities and the shared importance of the olive oil industry to Palestinian and Israeli farmers, the Near East Foundation (NEF) is seizing a unique opportunity to promote peace and collaboration between the two groups at a time when the diplomatic process is at a standstill.

Since 2005, NEF has trained over 3,000 Palestinian olive farmers in improved production, harvesting, and post-harvest processing techniques. Olive Oil without Borders fosters cross-border, grassroots economic cooperation to build strong relationships of trust, mutual understanding, and shared financial interest. Using strategies proven successful in previous NEF work in the region, project activities are designed to increase olive productivity, improve olive oil quality, and strengthen competitiveness in the marketplace.

NEF's approach promotes mutually beneficial cooperation from seed-to-supermarket through the entire olive oil production chain, which includes a network of olive farmers, oil processors, intermediaries, and distributors that extends across the Israel-Palestine border. Although these cross-border relationships already exist, they function so poorly that Palestinian olive oil cannot compete with lower cost alternatives domestically and internationally.

This project works with six clusters of villages (34 communities total) in Israel and the West Bank, in areas where NEF and its partners enjoy well-established relationships. Over the three years of the project, we will work with over 2,000 olive producers, along with numerous mill operators and olive oil distributors, to produce direct impacts of increased income, production yields, profitability, and cross-border trade. Ultimately, our aim is to build trust and collaboration through economic development to great a grassroots momentum for peace and reconciliation across the border.

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Participants: Over 2000 (farmers, oil mill operators, intermediaries, and distributors)

Objectives

• Deliver real economic results to project participants: improve olive production, olive oil quality, and sector competitiveness
• Strengthen grassroots, cross-border economic cooperation
• Leverage economic cooperation to promote peace and reconciliation

Expected Impact

• At least 2000 individuals and/or firms improve income from olive oil
• At least 400 community leaders participate in 20 cross-border training program
• At least 20 collaborative activities organized jointly by Palestinian and Israeli organizations

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The Near East Foundation (NEF) is a U.S.-based Non-governmental Development Organization. Founded in 1915, NEF has worked with vulnerable communities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for almost one hundred years. Today NEF operates in Armenia, Egypt, Jordan, Mali, Morocco, Palestine and Sudan. NEF has been active in the West Bank since 1995 and in the olive sector there since 2005. Based in Nablus, NEF-Palestine’s seven-member program staff—all of whom are from the West Bank—includes technical specialists in agricultural, enterprise, and community development, with an emphasis on the olive sector. NEF has cultivated long-term relationships with community organizations and government officials in dozens of villages across the northern West Bank. These enduring partnerships provide NEF with intimate knowledge of vulnerable Palestinian communities and a foundation of trust for mobilizing and supporting community action. Our partners on the Olive Oil without Borders project include the Palestinian Center for Agricultural Research and Development (PCARD) in Nablus, West Bank, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Ber Sheeva, Israel, and Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.