Zaytoun at 20: Zafar Nasseem is one of our biggest community distributors – individuals that sell Zaytoun products on to their friends, family and wider community. Zafar, who gives his perspective here, has supported Zaytoun from our early days and we are really grateful for the passion, enthusiasm and energy that he brings to supporting Palestinian farmers.
“I contacted Zaytoun 20 years ago to purchase a case of olive oil for my family. The feedback was “this is the best olive oil we’ve ever tasted.” So I ordered another two cases after a few weeks, this time for colleagues and friends, again the same feedback. Another few cases, this time sent to the local corner shop. The shop sold it at cost price, another shop sold it at below cost price as “barakah” meaning blessed, as it’s from a blessed land and the blessed tree. There was always positive feedback about how delicious the taste of the oil was.
The same thing happened with the delicious medjoul dates. The shops started contacting me a few weeks later asking for more and more. Gradually, the medjoul dates from the illegally occupied territories were replacing others due to consumer demand, again primarily due to the taste.
I’ve carried on for the past 20 years, as it’s a tangible way of supporting the farming communities, cottage industries, factory workers, logistics workers, lorry drivers – the full supply chain in Palestine. In the UK, I believe it’s the best marketing tool for Palestine. Having olive oil or dates in your kitchen is a continuous reminder of the Palestinian struggle, over 50% of whom living below the UN and Oxfam measured poverty line.
The best thing about Zaytoun is the active and growing social network that it has created in the UK with the common goal of supporting the Palestinian farmers.”
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