Organizational Structure


 

The Palestine Fair Trade Association joins in its membership the following groups: (See Organizational Structure Chart bellow)

  1. Producers’ cooperatives, such as a group of olive oil producers, a group of sesame seeds and wheat producers, a group of honey farmers etc. 
  2. Women workers' cooperatives, such as a group of couscous makers, a sun-dried tomatoes cooperative, a Za’atar making cooperative, an olive oil soap making cooperative, a group of wild collection workers for Za’atar, capers, sumac, and herbs, etc.
  3. Processors, such as participant olive mill owners, a soap making factory, a tahini processing factory, etc.
  4. Exporters/traders, such as olive oil exporting Fair Trade companies, and other Palestinian exporters of fair trade goods.
  5. Workers unions, such as a group of workers at a fair trade processor or a fair trade exporter.
 

These groups represent the parties directly affected by the Fair Trade process and are all represented in the General Body (GB) of PFTA. Representation for farmer producer’s groups, women cooperatives, and workers unions are proportionate to group or cooperative size. Each 25 members are represented by one person that is democratically elected to represent the group in the GB. Normally a producer group is represented by 1 to 3 representatives based on the size of the cooperative and according to the above formula. Exporters and processor organizations and companies are represented by one member each in the GB. 

The General Body meets annually and elects PFTA’s Managing Board (MB) on a bi-annual basis. MB members (7 members) are volunteers and do not receive any compensation from PFTA. MB appoints and oversees the PFTA office staff and project managers. Office staff and project managers are paid employees of PFTA. The GB represents the highest authority of the organization. PFTA’s staff conduct research concerning a product and certain production activity in relation to fair trade certification. Product guidelines, minimum fair trade pricing, etc. are normally drafted by PFTA’s staff and MB. Once developed, guidelines are ratified or amended by the GB. The producers groups, in their capacities as GB members may lobby GB to amend certain items as they deem necessary. They may affect a change or impose certain restrictions in their relationships with processors or exporters though a GB resolution, in reference to the specific product guidelines.