If you can’t find an answer to your question, please drop us a line.
Buying Zaytoun
When I click “buy” on your website, am I ordering directly from Zaytoun? No, when you click on “buy” you will be redirected to our trusted online partner, Ethical Superstore. It sells a wide range of ethically sourced foods, crafts, clothes and household products, including the full Zaytoun range of products.
If I have a problem with an order I placed online where do I go? Please contact the support email address or phone number in your order confirmation.
Can I buy directly from Zaytoun? We supply wholesalers, retailers, the hospitality trade and community distributors who wish to buy in wholesale quantities. You can find the details you need, including our product brochure, on our trade enquiries page.
Do you supply customers worldwide? At the moment our distribution is primarily into the UK and Ireland. If you have a wholesale business further afield, please email us on contact@zaytoun.uk.
Zaytoun credentials
What is ethical and sustainable about your products? We source products exclusively from Palestinian producers. The products are organic and Fairtrade products whenever possible and all products are traded on fair terms. We’re audited by the Fairtrade Foundation and the Soil Association, our shipping is now de-carbonised thanks to Good Shipping.
Why are some, but not all, of Zaytoun’s products certified as Fairtrade and organic? We support Palestinian farmers to achieve certification wherever appropriate, as a way of ensuring best practice in food quality and ethical trading. Sometimes it is not appropriate to pursue certification, where the products aren’t eligible or where the process would require resources that are not available to the producers.
Why do you only source Palestinian products? Please read our mission statement.
How do I know your products are really Palestinian? We were established in 2004 with the sole aim of supporting producers in Palestine through fair trade as per our mission statement. We know the suppliers and growers and visit them on a regular basis. The producers are listed here so you can find out more about them, and you can join one of our Fairtrade Fortnight events when we have a visiting producer from Palestine.
We are committed to offering our customers full traceability of our products. All our imports are accompanied by documentation that include the certificate of movement of goods (EUR1) and the phytosanitary certificate issued by the ministry of agriculture in Palestine.
Is Zaytoun a Palestinian company? Zaytoun is a UK based Community Interest Company that sources products exclusively from Palestine.
Who owns Zaytoun? Nobody owns Zaytoun. As a registered co-operative it does not have private owners or shareholders.
Where do your profits go? We invest 100% of our profits into furthering our mission. This is enshrined in our memoranda and articles of association.
I didn’t think Palestine had an export market. How do you import from Palestine? Palestine has been exporting goods for centuries, however it is unable to reach its full export potential largely due to the constraints imposed by the occupation. According to the UN more than 30% of households have no food security so access to foreign markets can help support farming initiatives and bolster livelihoods, food security and land retention.
Zaytoun products
Are your products vegan? Our products are suitable for vegans, apart from our honey olive oil soap from Nablus.
How should I store olive oil? Olive oil doesn’t like air, light or heat so don’t keep it next to the cooker! To maintain the full flavour and health benefits, we recommend storing your olive oil well sealed and away from heat and light. During the colder months, the olive oil may solidify. If it does, simply move it into a warm spot in the kitchen and it will melt to liquid once again.
Why do you advise spliting open a Medjoul date before eating? Dates are a natural fruit so it’s advisable to open them first and remove the stone before you bite into them. Read more about Medjoul dates here.
Trees for Life
Why is it more cost effective to buy 5 trees than a single tree? We’ve designed the mechanism to make the process as efficient as possible in order to minimise administration costs and maximise the funds going back to Palestine for tree planting. £20 pays for the planting of 5 trees and the issue of a single e-certificate. If you would like more e-certificates, you will need to make separate purchases.
I would like separate tree planting certificates with different names? If you would like to receive one certificate per tree planted, please select the single tree option.
I made a mistake on my Trees for Life gift certificate. Can you amend it for me? We charge a £10 admin fee to make changes to certificates or email addresses. Please email contact@zaytoun.uk with your required changes.
When will the trees be planted? The tree planting season in Palestine is between December and end of January.
Where are the trees planted, and will I get an update? The trees are planted by farmers living in the Nablus, Jenin and Salfit districts. You’ll receive a link to the latest tree planting annual report from the Palestine Fair Trade Association, and you can sign up to our newsletter for further updates. PLEASE NOTE: Zaytoun and the PFTA endeavour to keep administration costs as low as possible to ensure as much of your money as possible goes to the tree planting programme. For this reason it is not possible to take individual photos or videos of trees for donors. Instead, we receive a yearly report from The Palestine Fair Trade Association which we can share with you.
How can I pay? We accept Visa Credit, Visa Debit, Mastercard Credit, Mastercard Debit, Amex and Maestro. We are sorry but we cannot accept payment by cheque or cash for orders placed online. Payment will be taken at the order processing stage. By placing an order, you consent to payment being charged to your debit or credit card as provided on the order form. We use Stripe to validate your payment and do not store payment card details for future purchases. If you have a query about a payment, please us on contact@zaytoun.uk.
Can I get a refund? Payments for trees are non-refundable. If you have a query about a tree purchase you have made, please contact us on contact@zaytoun.uk. We reply during normal working hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Can’t find the information you’re looking for? contact@zaytoun.uk