Fair Trade Eco-Palms for Palm Sunday

The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation: Chamaedorea Palm Certification Project

The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC) and the University of Minnesota Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management (CINRAM) are working together with the Rainforest Alliance TREES program, Smartwood, and TransFair to certify palms harvested from the forests of Mexico and Guatemala for sale to Christian congregations in the United States and Europe.

Make social and environmental justice part of your congregation's Palm Sunday celebration.

The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!" (John 12: 12-13, NIV*)

Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem was accented by the jubilant waving of palm branches and is re-enacted each Palm Sunday in many congregations worldwide as our observance of Holy Week begins.

Unfortunately, for the communities where these palms are harvested, palm fronds do not always represent the same jubilation they do for us. You can learn more about this problem here:

• Environment and Indigenous Communities at Risk
• A Healthier Harvest
• Your Role in Supporting Social and Environmental Justice

How to Participate in the Fair Trade Palms Program

Eco-Palms will be available for order beginning January 4, 2010. If you are interested in purchasing Eco-Palms for Palm Sunday 2010, send your name, congregation, e-mail, and phone number to ecopalms@umn.edu.

See the Eco-Palms Information for Churches page for brochures, bulletin inserts, and posters for your church.