ADEL aims to be the pioneer national marketing program for the products of marginalized families and cooperatives in terms of Fairtrade and fair price principles for both producers and consumers. Its goal is to improve the economic situation of marginalized families by creating job opportunities. Adel invests in recognition and promotion of locally made, healthy, and preservative- free products. It aims to consolidate the relationship between local consumers and producers in order to strengthen the local economy. Today, Adel works with 470 producers and an ever expanding number of a customer base. Adel works also implements trainings, workshops, and projects that help Palestinian producers. Additionally, by taking responsibility for marketing their products, Adel spares producers the concern that their products might not be sold and that their expenses would not be recovered, especially considering the time, effort and money they put in their production. Through a home delivery program, Adel is responding to orders from consumers and they have also opened a Fairtrade shop near Qalandiya refugee camp to market these goods. Since 2018, Adel has been running a centre for quality control, packaging and packing in Dura Al Qare’ village near Ramallah to ensure meeting the standards of their products.
Furthermore, the very successful markets that Adel is organizing are contributing to a change in people’s habits in terms of what we buy, from whom, and how. Adel organizes fresh produce market days: Saturdays and Tuesdays in Ramallah at their brand-new location (check address above) and Saturday in Beit Jala at the Arab Orthodox Sports Club. Both markets are receiving praise and are meeting local demand for a place to find local produce and to enjoy encountering like-minded individuals and initiatives. Adel is also launching the “Charter of Fairtrade under Occupation”, a document aimed at raising what they call “economic awareness” to correct market relations and build healthy relationships between buyers and producers. Concepts such as solidarity economy, integrity, and economic justice are stated in the charter in a quest to create a definition of Fairtrade that first and foremost fits the Palestinian context and serves its producers and consumers and their respective needs. Through ensuring equitable and fair prices, Adel believes it is contributing to achieving the goal of Palestinian economic independence from the occupation and the injustices of the ‘free market’ system. Follow Adel on Facebook for updates on new products and market announcements, or visit their online shop and start ordering now.