Paul Calvert spoke with Suzan Sahori, the Executive Director, of Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans.

The olive wood producers we work with for the past six years, because we are working with them, we have somehow led the way for them for product development. Now, every year, they are coming with new product and they are now thinking for themselves and inventing a new product and coming back to us and saying, "Do you like this product?" So it is really amazing.

We have artists who do photographs. We have artists who do huge statues in many different ways. There is Palestinian talent.

Paul: Is fair trade about giving people a living wage?

Suzan: Fair trade is mainly about giving the marginalised a living wage and looking after their well-being. It's also about their environment. Where they are working, are they getting a fair price? Are they being treated well?

It's only recently that people in Palestine would know the fair trade word in Arabic. Women come to us and say, "What is fair trade?"

Fair trade is providing many fair opportunities for many small producers in Palestine.

Paul: Is it easy for Palestinians to sell their product?

Suzan: Life is not easy in Palestine, so selling the products is an obstacle sometimes because of closures. Let's say the Hebron city is closed; in Jerusalem there is the political unrest, which affects mainly the small producers. That means when I want to send an order on Monday morning and something happens in Jerusalem, then the Post Office cannot come and pick up my products to ship. Over all though, exporting of our goods has been going really smoothly.

The shipping cost is most expensive in Palestine, because as Palestinians we cannot ship directly to our customer, we have to go through the channels of Israel. That means that our local agent is only an agent to work between us and the Israeli agent.

To ship a container to Germany, means that our local person will have to consult with the Ashdod, or Haifa port and the goods have to be transferred from a Palestinian truck, from, for example, Bethlehem, to the checkpoint in Hebron. Then on the other side, an Israeli truck will come and they will unload our truck, as our truck cannot go directly from here to Haifa, or Ashdod. The Israeli truck then takes our product inside Israel. Even to ship a small package to the US, it also has to go through the Israeli Post Office, so we coordinate with the Israeli Post Office to send the car and pick up those packages.

Paul: Is fair trade bringing dignity to Palestinians?

Suzan: Fair trade is all about dignity. After doing the audit report by the World Fair Trade Organisation, we realised how they are happy and want to empower Bethlehem fair trade. They say, "If you are empowered that means you are bringing more orders and I know my money is safe. I know I am learning something in you and I am benefiting and you are creating sustainability with dignity."

Paul: Does Palestine find it difficult competing with someone like China?

Suzan: Yes, of course. Unfortunately the Chinese market is entering into Palestine and with a huge impact. To give you an example, our women make an income by putting the rosary together from the olive wood bead. Many rosaries are made in China and brought into Palestine and sold in the souvenir shops. The Chinese market is affecting the small producers very much. There is no way we can compete with the cost. Just recently at a fair, a Chinese young couple came and I thought they were just looking at our products and wanted to buy something, but he told me, "I can make you this product with better quality and much cheaper. Can I take a photo of this product?" I said, "I'm sorry, but this product is made by handicapped clients and it should not be perfect and I don't want it perfect. It is to give those special needs groups a way to sell these products."