| April 2005 
Eco-Justice Working Group Church of the Brethren Environmental Justice Office of Presbyterian Church (USA) Presbyterian Washington Office Episcopal Ecological Network Greek Orthodox Church in America Luthern Earthkeeping Network of the Synods Reformed Church in America United Church of Christ United Methodist Board of Church and Society 
| Churches Celebrate Palm Sunday with 'Eco-Palm' [Montreal]—Twenty-two churches in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Massachusetts became 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. |
