As the UN convenes to debate statehood for Palestine, world attention swings once again to one of the most persistent trouble spots in the world. However, the plight of individuals affected by the ongoing troubles often goes forgotten. We talked to Cathi Pawson, founder of Zaytoun, about how she's helping to support farmers at the grass roots.

How did Zaytoun come about?

The three founders and I went out to Palestine as volunteers, interviewing the farmers and seeing what was happening at the checkpoints. What we found was that they had a glut of olive oil, but nowhere to sell it. The Gulf markets had been closed down in the Intifada. Jordan, meanwhile, had been investing heavily in improving its olive oil industry.

When I returned we emailed a few friends to ask what they would be interested in paying for this and seeing if they could put up the money to buy a few crates. At that stage we were not thinking about seriously importing this, but mainly contacting campaign groups and selling it almost as a campaign tool. However, the email went viral. We were quickly overwhelmed by demand. Instead of a few crates we found ourselves buying a number of containers.

How important is it for farmers to have this outlet?

In economic terms it's incredibly important. It addresses issues of extremely high unemployment in the region and allows them to make income from their land. It means they do not have to travel which can be extremely difficult in the West Bank.

However, farmers also say it's highly important to have that human contact. We go out there to meet the farmers and also take our customers over. We've also brought farmers over here as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. It allows them to tell their story, to have recognition for the value and beauty they can create. It allows them to be seen as something more than just terrorists or victims. It is a recognition of what they can create.

Are there particular challenges you face importing from that region?

There are difficulties. The region is less secure than other places. For example, during the Israeli - Lebanon war all the northern ports were closed down. We're also hearing that there may be trouble when the UN gathers to vote on Palestinian statehood and have been advised to import extra containers beforehand.

Aside from that in terms of logistics it's relatively straightforward. We have an established route. The only problem comes at checkpoints. Sometimes the Israeli army unloads the containers. If they're left drying in the sun and not packed away correctly they can start to spoil.

How important has the Fairtrade label been?

It was important for us because the wholesalers wouldn't use us until we had the Fairtrade certificate. We were told it was just too much of a commercial risk without the mark. Because we're importing from Palestine our olive oil is much more expensive. Getting certification is costly and hard work, but it's something that we, coming fresh to the market, had to do.  

Is the olive oil any good?

Initially we did have quality problems because they had not exported to Europe before. However we've worked with the farmers to improve their practices and make the most of the harvest. I think we're well on the way to succeeding with that.

The olives have a special flavour. There's the variety of olives, the Rumi and the Nabali olives which are only grown in that region. They're very different to the olives you might see grown in Greece. They're very green and fruity and have a peppery taste.

Do you plan to expand the range in the future?

We are looking at other products. Dates are the next biggest sellers to the olive oil, especially during Ramadan. We're also selling Za'ata, a herb mix from the middle east - it is collected and mixed by women, which allows us to expand the benefits. We're looking at bringing in tapenade next year and also sun dried tomatoes.

We're moving more into the fine foods market. The story is a big part of our selling point. It's special because this is a holy land. It's ancient with rich heritage. Some of the olive trees are over a thousand years old.

This has been useful because it has lessened our reliance on the solidarity market - with people buying for political reasons. It's great because here people are buying because they like the produce. This is good for us, but it's also great for the farmers themselves.