About Olive Co-operative: History & Values

Olive Co-operative is a workers’ co-operative founded in 2003 by a group of peace activists in Manchester, UK with backgrounds in organisations such as the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Jews for Justice for Palestinians and the International Solidarity Movement. Olive’s initial aim was to run informative small-group tours to Palestine and Israel which would enable people interested in the region and the struggle for a just peace to see the situation there for themselves. The first tour, a ‘pilot’ group mainly drawn from supporters of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, visited Palestine and Israel in December 2003.

During 2004 Olive Co-operative took on its first formal staff and developed many aspects of the company, including taking the decision to be a not-for-profit organisation, writing a formal ethical policy and expanding our relationships with organisations in the UK, Palestine and Israel. At this time Zaytoun was established in London as a volunteer group which imported fairly traded Palestinian olive oil to Britain. Olive took the decision to start selling this in the Manchester and Liverpool areas and has since developed a strong relationship with Zaytoun and olive oil growers in the West Bank.

In late 2004 and 2005 the value of fair trade to West Bank and Gazan Palestinians and to Palestinian citizens of Israel became increasingly apparent as Olive staff met with more and more people and groups with high-quality products which they wanted to sell. This led to the development of Olive’s involvement in building fair trade links with Palestine, which has culminated in Olive’s online shop and increasing numbers of stalls at events organised by fair trade groups, churches, mosques, synagogues, peace groups and the Palestine solidarity community. Starting in 2006 Olive also worked closely with the Palestine Fair Trade Association to launch Trees for Life, a scheme allowing people in the UK and elsewhere to sponsor the planting of olive trees to replenish groves which have been destroyed or damaged by the building of the Separation Wall and settlements.

Currently, Olive Co-operative has three director members. We are continuing to guide Olive successfully through the credit crunch, with new more cost effective office, a re-vamped website, an expanding customer base, staff choosing to work voluntary hours on top of their paid hours, and finiancial and moral support from a commited core of long standing customers and friends.

Staff past and present have come from a range of backgrounds including British, Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and people of no formal faith. Tour customers have also come from a wide range of backgrounds - Muslim, Jewish, Christian and people of no formal faith; from the UK, Continental Europe and North America; from Jewish, White, South Asian and Arab ethnic origins; women and men; gay and straight.