Farrah Sarafa

On the tumultuous terrain of politically rivaled and culturally distraught Israel and Palestine, PeaceWorks attempts to make peace through work in the name of all natural, snack bars, salsa, spreads, tapenade and spices.
Bombs, raids and cries echo throughout the otherwise deserted streets of Palestine, disrupting the Jewish Oasis in Palestine-Israel. Heightened security and checkpoints leave Palestinians waiting endlessly to cross into towns across the border, providing the Israelis with a false sense of separation and security.
Could buying and consuming a jar of pesto possibly help mediate this current conflict? PeaceWorks, a not-only-for-profit food company based in Manhattan, promotes peace in the Middle East by fostering collaboration between workers on both sides of the still ambiguous Palestinian-Israeli border. The company also donates 5% of its revenue to OneVoice, a grassroots non-profit that moderates violent extremism in the region.
Both PeaceWorks and OneVoice were founded by Daniel Lubetzky, who was so impressed by a sun-dried tomato paste he tasted on a professional trip to Israel that he bought up the producer of the spread, Oliva. He proceeded to gather a team of Palestinian agricultural distributors and Israeli manufacturers to help bring about his vision: a harmonious working environment—and profits—for both Palestinians and Israelis.
The company launched in 1994 with tomato, basil, ginger and olive oil Spratè (spread + pate), Wafa bars (milk chocolate-covered hazelnuts), salsas and pestos. After only a few years—thanks in part to Lubetzky’s philanthropic aims—revenues hit several million. KIND Fruit + Nut bars, which the company began selling in 2004, are now sold in 12,000 shops, delis and drugstore across America.
“Sales are going through the roof,” says company spokesman Phil Walotsky.
PeaceWorks’ marketing message is consistent with the company’s idealistic philosophy, from the Wafa bars (Wafa means loyalty in Arabic) to the Moshe and Ali spraté (Moshe was a mythical Israeli chef ; Ali was an Arab magician). 
Lubetzky has not only proven that communities on opposite sides of a conflict can cooperate—but also that their collaboration can be lucrative.

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PeaceWorks’ social entrepreneurship uniquely merges economic incentives with philanthropic social value. Three Middle East experts, Ruth Arad, Seev Hirsch, and Alfred Tovias were the first to describe such a move as an example of the “economics of peacemaking.” This theory holds that commerce can help to humanize a conflict and may shatter certain negative stereotypes. It affirms that commerce can establish a situation in which the participants have a vested interest in working together and in directing efforts away from conflict toward a stable economy.
PeaceWorks is not Fair-Trade certified—presumably because fair-trade labeling organization (FLO) standards are rigorous and costly. Nonetheless, it is a prime example of the “economics of peacemaking” at work. A recent comment by President Mahmoud Abbas suggests that PeaceWorks doesn’t need to go Fair Trade to ameliorate the mid-east conflict. In an October 2007 press briefing, Abbas’ spokesperson, Dr. Saeb Erekat, claimed that Peaceworks is an NGO whose political program does, in fact coincide with Abbas’ platform and with Palestinians’ objectives. 
With respect to agricultural benefits and farmers’ rights, PeaceWorks remains neutral, choosing to emphasize Palestinian-Israeli coexistence in the economic sphere. It confronts peace not from an alternative fair-trade or socialist method, but from a profit perspective. But thanks to its innovative and idealistic aims, PeaceWorks stands out as an example of how progressive companies can creatively work in the region today. 
Unlike Israeli-only food producers such as Achvna, specializing in herbs and flowers; Agriniri, an olive-oil producer; Zuriel Dairy; Binyamina, a wine and alcohol dealer and others, PeaceWorks acknowledges and credits the role of Palestinians on the other side.
These Israeli-run companies exclusively label olive oil, wine, snack food, cheese, and other commodities grown in non-occupied territories as “Israeli.” Land is a sensitive issue in Palestine-Israel, especially with regard to products such as olive oil and wine. But these Israeli companies continue to export olive oil and other products without giving any credit to the Palestinians who’ve been living there and cultivating the land for the last two thousand years. 60% of the olive oil being produced in non-occupied territories goes to waste each year because the Palestinians have no means to legitimately export it. PeaceWorks seeks to counteract these injustices by acknowledging the people on the other side.

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The company’s foundation is developing new initiatives. This year, the first annual PeaceWorks Prize will be awarded to a person under 40 who is making positive contributions in the Middle East. A video exchange project called “Who Am I” will allow Israelis and Palestinians to visually document their stories living amid occupation and war.                             
Lubetzky’s declared goal is to make peace in the Middle East. In his October 17th blog, Lubetzky wrote:
The other source of energy from which I derive my continued commitment to push to end the conflict in spite of the sobering challenges is the incredible resilience and commitment from ordinary citizens and members of the movement.
Since its 2002 inauguration, OneVoice has grown to over 600,000 members—even Muhammad Ali, Queen Noor, and Brad Pitt have signed on. Meanwhile, millions of people continue to purchase PeaceWorks’ products merely because they are healthy and tasty. “[Workers, supporters, and dignitaries] are always so committed and energized to do their part,” says Lubetzky in the same blog entry. “This movement…can channel the frustrations and energies from the millions who cherish an end to the conflict into some concrete positive steps that bring us closer.”

Farrah Sarafa is a Palestinian/Iraqi writer and editor who was born and raised in the US.