February 5th, 2009 
Tushar Mathur Palm Sunday — Can be greener if your church of good stewardship distributes “eco-palms” that are sustainably harvested, generating a better income for the communities that harvest them. Think “selective cutting” as opposed to traditional “overharvesting” of 300 million fronds annually in the rainforests of Guatemala and Mexico. When harvesters strip no more than three or four fronds every four months from an individual palm, there’s no more than 10 % waste, not 50 %, and the palm survives. Payment to workers is based on quality, not quantity. About 25 % of the proceeds help schools and health care in the communities where they were harvested. Eco-palms are slightly more expensive than traditional palms.
This fair trade program began in 2005 when 20 American churches bought 5000 palms. It grew to more than 2000 congregations in 2008. That’s less than 10 % of the palms that are purchased for Palm Sunday, but it’s a start.
The Presbyterian Church’s “Enough for Everyone” program and the Catholic Relief Services’ Fair Trade Program have joined Lutheran World Relief and the University of Minnesota as supporters of this eco-palm program.
What can you do? Encourage your pastor to purchase sustainable palms for Palm Sunday services, weddings and funeral floral arrangements. Order at http://www.ecopalms.org/ or 612-624-7418.
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