A small amount of olive oil from Gaza, sealed in hand blown glass, sits at the centre of a new campaign to replant the groves it came from.
A bottle of olive oil is always within reach at a Palestinian table. It sits beside the bread and za’atar at breakfast and finds its way into almost every meal that follows. In Gaza, the olive tree has shaped family life, farming and the rhythm of the year for generations and the harvest each autumn has long been something families do together.
That tradition is now in grave danger. Over 1.8 million olive trees in Gaza have been destroyed and the region’s olive production has fallen by more than eighty percent. For the farmers who depend on those trees, the loss reaches their income, their land and a body of knowledge handed down from their parents and grandparents.
The Last Harvest, a campaign launched in Dubai this October, sets out to protect what remains. It’s a collaboration between Palestinian olive oil brand Jenin and The Big Heart Foundation and it brings heritage, humanitarian aid and storytelling together around one goal. Helping Gaza’s farmers replant and rebuild.
At the heart of the campaign are the stories of Gaza’s farmers, their land and a tradition passed down through generations. One of these stories began with a small quantity of olive oil pressed by a family in Gaza. Destruction followed and for many of the trees, it was the last harvest. But the family shared the oil, in the hope that it would carry their message of persistence to the outside world. It wasn’t much. But there was a way to make it go far.
The oil is now preserved in handcrafted vessels designed by Palestinian artist Lameice Abu Aker and hand blown by local artisans. Their shape follows the oil bottles that have sat on Palestinian tables for as long as anyone can remember. Inside, the drops are held in small seed shaped vials, raised above a base of burnt olive wood. The wood stands for what has been destroyed and the seed for what can still grow back.
Each piece holds only a few drops but it gives the campaign a way to talk about something much larger, Gaza’s olive groves, the farmland they grow on and the families whose work and income rely on both.
How to help
AED 35 is enough to plant one olive tree in Gaza. All campaign proceeds go to the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) to fund its work on the ground and there are several ways to take part:
Bid on The Last Harvest. The preserved oil, presented in its one of a kind glass vessel, is up for auction online.
Donate directly. Contributions can be made through The Big Heart Foundation’s website or through The Last Harvest campaign page on YallaGive.
Buy The Fallaheen Reserve. Jenin has released a limited-edition bottle of olive oil, with 100% of profits going to support Gaza’s farmers.
Share the story. Passing the campaign on helps more people understand why Gaza’s olive heritage and the farmers working to restore it, need protecting.
The campaign’s name works as both a description and a warning. For the family who pressed this oil, it was the last harvest from many of their trees. With enough support, it won’t be the last for Gaza. Every tree planted now means another harvest to come and a tradition that families can keep passing down.
To learn more about The Last Harvest and the story behind Palestinian olive oil, visit Jenin’s website and social channels. Bids and donations can be made through the campaign’s auction and donation pages.
