By Joe Winter
Catholic Herald correspondent

Eco-Palms promotes fair trade palm fronds

HUDSON -- An effort is spreading in churches across the Midwest and beyond to promote harvesting of palm fronds -- used by the millions in the United States each year -- in a way that's economically just and environmentally sound.

The fair-trade effort, called Eco-Palms, allows harvesters to avoid killing palm trees to get the fronds and prompts natural regeneration, said Dean Current. He is the program director of the Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management at the University of Minnesota, which started the program.

It basically eliminates the need for plantations, clear-cutting and maiming of other species of trees in the forest canopy during the harvesting of palm fronds. At the same time it allows an economic livelihood for the gatherers that's more socially just, he said.

Since the year-old program is out of the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, officials expect the effort to spread strongly and quickly to nearby areas in western and northern Wisconsin.

The effort in Wisconsin is being spearheaded by an Oregon pastor who has close ties to this state, said RaeLynn Jones Loss, a research specialist in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Minnesota.

"When people hear about it, they want to come right on board," Jones Loss said. "They say, 'we want to do it. We want to do it.'"

The organization's initial foray into the palm frond market last year produced many sales, and they have been contacted from Canada and as far away as Alaska. The center is getting many e-mails from people who want to participate, even though they have done no advertising or marketing, she said. They expect several hundred churches to be buying fair-trade palms by this Easter season. About 200 were on board as of late last year.

The non-oil palm plant used is called Chamaedora and is included in many facets of life, including religious ceremonies and floral arrangements. Approximately 308 million palm fronds were used in the United States in 1998 alone.

A congregation of 1,100 to 1,500 members will order approximately 700 palm fronds for Palm Sunday services, the center says. Each palm plant produces two to five harvestable leaves over a two- to four-month period, and palm purchases for Palm Sunday may be worth up to $4.5 million dollars a year.

Palm gathering actually protects natural forests, since gatherers protect foliated areas where the palm grows. Many of the palm-producing forest areas are vital "biosphere reserves" and tend to be home to the poorer segments of the rural population.

Based on a market study, center officials determined that this project was financially feasible. A survey on participant interest showed environmental advantages were the most popular feature with buyers, who were willing to pay a bit more to accomplish those goals.

"It's huge. What we pay is only 5 cents a palm, but all that goes directly to people who harvest," Jones Loss said.

Ninety percent of the palm fronds are harvested in Guatemala or Mexico, and most of the rest in the Brazilian or Peruvian Amazon, or in Florida.

The center officials hope that the program they have started will be taken over by Twin Cities-area social justice organizations, which will provide an even greater volunteer base for the fair-trade operations.

Jones Loss said, "It has a direct impact" on people in the villages. For example, with the help of fair-trade palm sales, girls are able to attend school, which normally doesn't happen in the source villages, and a community center is being built. The organization expects to soon be officially recognized by charitable organizations, such as Oxfam, that work toward similar goals. One of the main participants at the national level has been Catholic Relief Services. A nun has worked with the organizers from the University of Minnesota to help them navigate the Catholic bureaucratic structure and get things accomplished, Jones Loss said.

Current said he knows about the need because he spent 12 years in Costa Rica, then more time in neighboring countries such as Guatemala, working with local communities and development groups.

A trip to central America this month is allowing officials to meet people they are helping, see the impact made by the effort, and ensure that proper and the most efficient harvesting techniques are being used, Current said.

The center's brochure offers this advice in working with retailers and other providers: "Talk to your current palm distributors and ask if they are aware of the source of their palm fronds. Let them know about your environmental and social justice concerns. Ask them if they would be willing to participate in distributing Chamaedora palm fronds from certified operations." The organization can provide names of such suppliers.

Parishioners can be informed about the opportunity to improve the conservation of forests and forest species by improving the livelihoods of people living near the forests.

The organization also stresses that it is important to continue to buy palms. Without a market for the palms the forests are at risk of conversion to agricultural fields.

Editor's note: Information is available on the Web site for the Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management at http://cinram. umn.edu. Palms can be ordered through this Web site or by calling 612-624-4299. Information is also available on the Commission for Environmental Cooperation Web site at www.cec.org (search for palm fronds).

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2006