COP18 (29/11/12) – Nasser Abufarha, Producer Representative (Middle East) for Fairtrade International, describes how climate change is worsening the situation for Palestine’s already vulnerable agricultural economy.

Abufarha explains that Fairtrade International chooses to work with marginalised communities – those that most need their support – and so working in Palestine was an obvious choice. He says that political instability is already impeding access to markets and to water resources for Palestinian farmers, making the additional fear of climate change particularly threatening.

Abufarha outlines the devastating effect of climate change on the Palestinian olive crop, explaining that it is causing both extremely hot Summer temperatures – this summer resulting in the loss of half of the olive crop – and a dramatic increase in the occurrence of fungal attacks, due to the increased humidity.