The Forest Foundation, Inc.

TFF and FOW have made an effort to reach out to communities of faith to educate and create opportunities for participation in our work. The Eco-palm project fits perfectly with our missions as we believe that it will be a change in our spiritual connection with each other and our planet that will make the difference in our survival and flourishing on this planet

In addition, each shipment to over 100 churches in North and South Carolina will include:

- Frank De Pasqualle’s handbook on greening the church, published by the Episcopal Diocese of NC;

- How to conduct an Earth Justice Fair at your church, edited by Bob Rodriguez;

- How to have a Fair Trade Sale;

- information on Climate change, published by Inner Faith Power and Light;

- examples of an Earth Covenant; and

- works of Thomas Berry.

Each shipment will be packed with ideas for transformational change in our spiritual life.

Make social and environmental justice part of your parish’s Lenten observation

“The economy should work for people, not the other way around.”
Economic Justice for All, US Catholic Bishops, 1986

Why order Eco Palms?
Your purchase will ensure that palm harvesters in Mexico and Guatemala are earning a fair income for their labor, and that palms are being harvested in an environmentally sustainable way. Fair Trade Programs support a trading partnership for sustainable development for excluded and disadvantaged producers. Harvesting palm products is an important source of supplemental income for many indigenous families and communities in Guatemala and Mexico. Profits from your purchase support impoverished communities in Guatemala and Mexico so that,

- women can buy fruits and vegetables for their families,

- communities can bring health-care providers into their area,

- young children can go to school,

- harvesters can be covered with health care insurance.

For a fuller explanation of the benefits of Eco Palms go to
http://cinram.umn.edu/ecopalms/index.html

What is the cost?
Each frond costs 24 cents or less, depending on the quantity, slightly higher that the palms customarily used, which are really a grass grown in Texas and Florida. A more important question might be “Can a faith based community ignore it’s social teaching regarding stewardship of the earth’s resources and the value of labor?” A little creative thinking could provide for the cost differential and make a difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters in poverty.

What are Eco Palms?
Eco Palms come from the Maya Biosphere Reserve region, the biological diverse rainforests of the Peten of Guatemala, Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Chiapas States of Mexico. Known locally as the “Xate” palm, each frond is 16-20 inches long and 10-12 inches wide and is low forest floor species.

Where can Eco Palms be purchased?
CRS is routing all orders through Eco Palms at the University of Minnesota. Order forms are available at www.cinram.umn.edu/ecopalms . Distribution will be though Forest Foundation in Durham http://www.forestsoftheworld.com/.

How reliable is this source?
The Eco Palms project filled every order on time in2006. Either Guatemala or Mexico can meet the demand alone.

What is the deadline for orders?
Orders for Palm Sunday in 2007 must be received by March 12.

Make a difference in the health and education of the poor in Tikal and Chiapas by advocating in your local church community for purchase of Eco Palms, then pass along this information to others. Together we can make a difference!

(Below is a LANDSAT image of the Yucatan, red dotes are fires from “milpa” farming and forest clearance.)