At a Palestinian olive grove Image by Nayef Hashlamoun

With next Fairtrade Fortnight being all about The Big Swap and encouraging people to exchange their usual everyday products for Fairtrade, how about getting some practice in with your Christmas presents?

For those of you who think no further than wine, coffee and bananas when you hear this, there may be a few treats in store.

Wine is of course a safe and palatable option for someone of whose tastes you are unsure but if you want to go for something a bit more unusual, then olive oil is also a special product that most people need for their kitchen cupboard.

Zaytoun’s organic Fairtrade olive oil, sourced through Canaan Fair Trade in Palestine, was the first olive oil to be given Fairtrade status earlier this year and is pressed from the fruit of ancient trees, which have been tended by hand through generations of family farmers.

The olive oil is derived from two types of trees: the Nabali, which is the indigenous olive tree of Palestine; it is found predominately in the western region and yields a medium to light olive oil with a fruity flavour. Meanwhile, the Rumi olive tree has been cultivated in Palestine since the era of the Roman Empire and it produces a robust and pungent oil.

Thanks to a loan from Shared Interest, Canaan was able to part finance their new storage and bottling plant so they are now able to complete the entire production process on site from harvesting the olives, through to pressing them, to bottling the finished product.

So when you buy this beautifully presented olive oil for a loved one, not only can you be assured that trees are harvested by hand, with olives reaching the presses within 24 hours, but you can also be sure that you are helping to alleviate poverty in another part of the world.

Canaan also produces olives, couscous, almonds and sundried tomatoes alongside za’atar (thyme), honey and olive oil soap. All are made from native plants, picked and processed in the naturally organic Palestinian traditional way for generations. Check out www.canaanfairtrade.com to peruse and purchase the products for yourself.

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But the choices don’t end with farmers’ produce; the fair trade market has a wealth of handicraft makers and daisygreenmagazine.co.uk featured one just last month in the shape of Namayiana.

This all-female group creates traditional Maasai beaded items like walking sticks, necklaces, and bracelets as well as Christmas ornaments, purses, baskets, and bags. You can buy these from Ten Thousand Villages, via their website at www.tenthousandvillages.com. Shared Interest will pre-finance their order with this USA buyer to ensure that Namayiana is not left without funds until their goods are sold.

But it is not just Africa that boasts a range of homegrown and handcrafted goods. For those diehard coffee connoisseurs, who you know will not be happy without their festive fix of beans, then Peruvian cooperatives such as COCLA may be worth a look. Made up of 8,500 farmers, COCLA has a major economic and social impact on the Quillabamba region.

Over the last 10 years its technical expertise and marketing knowledge have grown as a direct result of working with fair trade partners. It uses part of the Fairtrade premium to run a technology transfer programme to ensure that the techniques for producing and marketing top quality coffee are communicated to the people behind the products.

Based in the Peruvian Andes amidst lush tropical valleys, the Peruvian growers have the best possible climate in which to grow their superb quality arabica beans.

An organic coffee called Machu Picchu Organic, with a delicate aroma, makes the perfect Christmas gourmet gift. But for every coffee drinker out there, there has to be at least one chocolate addict and COCLA doesn’t disappoint here either.

Back in 2005, Shared Interest lent COCLA some funds to work on their diversification into cocoa. Unfortunately the chocolate bars themselves are only available to buy in Peru so unless you are planning an overseas trip, you will have to settle for a cup of the hot stuff. Try Cocodirect Drinking Chocolate for an instant hit of home comfort. You can get your mitts on this and a variety of Fairtrade coffees and teas from the Cafe Direct website at www.cafedirect.co.uk.

Even by sampling all of these products, you will only be dipping your toe in ethical waters. There is a wealth of products available from across the developing world that make unusual and authentic festive treats.

The only drawback with all of this Fairtrade finery is that you may want to pop it in your own stocking but if this is the case, just remember: it’s good to swap but even better to share. And with that, may all your Christmases be green….

The next Fairtrade Fortnight will be held between 22 February and 2 March 2010. Find out more about Shared Interest