| Montreal, 17/03/2005 – Twenty-two churches in Minnesota, North Dakota, and
Massachusetts are set to become the first congregations in North America
to use environmentally sustainable palm for their Palm Sunday services
purchased under a pilot project of the Commission for Environmental
Cooperation (CEC).
The CEC, in cooperation
with Continental Floral Green, Rainforest Alliance and the University
of Minnesota's Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural
Management (CINRAM), coordinated the purchase of 5,000 chamaedorea
palm fronds harvested in Mexico and Guatemala.
The fronds came
from communities who are involved in efforts to certify their palm
production as sustainable. They were tagged and delivered this week
to participating Lutheran, Episcopalian and Unitarian churches.
"Chamaedorea
palm fronds are often used as ornamental indoor plants and decoration
in floral arrangements, but Palm Sunday services account for close
to 10 percent of the total annual demand, or up to $4.5 million in
sales in the United States alone," says Dean Current, program manager
of CINRAM.
Unfortunately,
many of the 30 million palm fronds expected to be used this Sunday
will be the result of over-harvesting in Mexico and Guatemala. But
by supporting sustainable palm production, churches can help communities
that practice sustainable harvesting earn a decent living while protecting
their rainforest, an important habitat for migratory birds and other
species.
"Churches have
purchasing power just like regular consumers, so if enough congregations
demand green products like 'eco-palm,' then the market will grow and
environmental and social benefits will follow," says Chantal Line
Carpentier, head of the Environment, Economy and Trade program at
the CEC.
In fact, a survey
commissioned by the CEC in 2003 showed a majority of Christian congregations
would be willing to pay nearly double the price they currently pay
in order to have sustainable palm.
Note to photo
editors: professional, high-resolution images can be downloaded from
our web site at www.cec.org/palm.
For more information,
please contact Spencer Tripp at (514) 773-6237. | 
