Jesus'
entrance into Jerusalem, accented by the jubilant waving of palm
fronds, is re-enacted each Palm Sunday in Christian congregations
worldwide as the observance of Holy Week begins.
More than 300 million palm fronds are harvested each year for U.S.
consumption alone, most of them for Palm Sunday. Unfortunately, for the
communities where these palms are harvested, palm fronds do not always
represent the same jubilation.
The Episcopal Church is joining Lutheran World Relief, Catholic
Relief Services' (CRS) Fair Trade Program and the Presbyterian Church
(USA)'s Enough for Everyone Program to promote the use of sustainably
harvested eco-palms for Palm Sunday 2008. By purchasing eco-palms for
Palm Sunday celebrations, Episcopal congregations can play an important
role in protecting forests, local jobs, and sustainable livelihoods in
the harvesting communities.
The Eco-Palm Project is an effort of the North American Commission
for Environmental Cooperation and the University of Minnesota Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management
to develop a certification program for palms that will ensure the
fronds are being harvested in an environmentally sustainable way, and
the palm harvesters are earning a livable income from their labor.
Martha Gardner, consultant for Environmental Ministries at the Episcopal Church Center, is excited about the project.
"Ever since I heard about 'sustainable palms,' I was excited to
bring our denomination on board. Using eco-palms on Palm Sunday is a
way to remind Episcopalians that we are committed to the idea of
environmental sustainability as one of the Millennium Development
Goals," she said. "I know that many Episcopalians have made a
commitment to sustainability by their purchase of Bishops Blend coffee
through Episcopal Relief and Development; eco-palms are another way to
show our commitment."
Harvesting palm products is an important source of supplemental
income for many indigenous families and communities in Guatemala and
Mexico. However, over-harvesting palms can threaten the livelihood of
these communities as well as the forests where the palm plants thrive.
To combat the problem of over-harvesting palms in Guatemala and
Mexico, community cooperatives have formed to harvest eco-palms --
palms harvested in an ecologically and socially sustainable way. The
harvesters are paid on the quality of the fronds they harvest rather
than the quantity, which helps to limit the amount of fronds taken from
the forest. These communities have adopted harvesting practices that
minimize impact on the natural forest where the palm grows.
Rather than sending the harvested palms off to a distant warehouse
for sorting and packaging, the community members complete those tasks
and sell their palms directly rather than relying on middlemen,
ensuring that more of the money paid for the palms goes to those who
worked the hardest to provide them.
More information about the program, including an order form, is available here or here. The order form can be accessed directly by clicking here. Orders for delivery by Palm Sunday must be placed by February 20.
Gardner can be contacted at mgardner@episcopalchurch.org or 212-716-6056.
